PHILIPPINES
UCA News
Mark Saludes, Manila, Philippines March 2, 2016
The Catholic Church in the Philippines is ahead of its time in addressing cases of clergy sex abuse, according to a Filipino bishop.
“We drafted our protocol in handling cases of clergy sexual misconduct years back,” said Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos.
The prelate made the statement when asked about his reaction to the movie “Spotlight,” which won best original screenplay and best picture at the Academy Awards in the United States on Feb. 28.
The movie follows an investigation conducted by a group journalists on Catholic priests who were accused of sexually abusing children in Boston.
Several Philippine cities were listed in the movie as places around the world where accused priests in Boston were transferred.
Bishop Alminaza admitted that the church has faced the problem “since more than 10 years ago, not in silence but also not visibly.”
In 2007, the country’s Catholic bishops established a center that hosts programs for the formation of clergy, “including troubled priests.”
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