GUAM
Guam Daily Post
Neil Pang | Post News Staff
A release from the Archdiocese of Agana named the members of the newly reconstituted Catholic Cemeteries of Guam Inc. board of directors.
Rev. Jeff San Nicolas, delegate of the apostolic administrator, announced the new members yesterday as a result of the resignation of the previous board. According to the statement, the previous board resigned on Oct. 7 at the behest of Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana.
The new board comprises Wayne Santos, Daniel Tydingco, Gregory Perez, John Cruz and Gerald Taitano. Additionally, Joseph Duenas was appointed as interim administrator of Catholic Cemeteries of Guam Inc. and replaced Rev. Jose Alberto Rodriguez-Salamanca, who was relieved of his duties.
The resignation of the previous board and the subsequent reconstitution came as a result of a complaint that was filed with the Guam Police Department regarding allegations of financial mismanagement against Monsignor James Benavente. Benavente had previously been removed from his post as rector of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in 2014 by Archbishop Anthony Apuron on grounds of financial mismanagement and was publicly defamed by the archbishop.
On Oct. 1, Benavente was cleared of all wrongdoing by San Nicolas on behalf of Hon, and was assigned as parochial vicar of St. Anthony Church in Tamuning. Following the announcement, a report was filed with GPD and the attorney general’s office by the then-board of directors of Catholic Cemeteries, alleging the misuse of cemeteries funds for Benavente’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
In a subsequent release, the church declared that the allegations made against Benavente in the complaint had already been addressed and had been concluded to be unfounded.
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