MANILA (PHILIPPINES)
Manila Times [Manila, Philippines]
April 30, 2023
By Fr. Shay Cullen
CHALLENGING pedophile priests in court is possible today in the Philippines. Much has changed in the Philippine judiciary in the past 20 years. Prosecutors and judges in the family courts are armed with 37 laws that mandate that they protect children and bring their abusers to swift and strict justice. Many prosecutors and judges are doing just that in Luzon and other parts of the country.
Church influence over government prosecutors and judges has greatly diminished since the previous President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to expose the alleged wrongdoings of bishops and priests, saying he was sexually abused himself by a priest. The Philippine judiciary is more independent and many women prosecutors and judges, and men too, in the family courts are strong and independent-minded and will never bend to Church pressure.
There are at present prosecutors and judges holding priests accused of child abuse accountable and bringing them to court. The latest and most shocking investigation of clerical sexual abuse by Catholic priests has been released in a report by US Attorney General Anthony Brown in Baltimore in the United States. As many as 156 priests abused more than 600 children over decades.
The victim /survivors have reported the sexual abuse by priests over years and the Archbishop of Baltimore William E.Lori issued a statement of apology after the release of the report on April 5, 2023. The report said, “Time and again, members of the Church’s hierarchy resolutely refused to acknowledge allegations of child sexual abuse for as long as possible.” The archdioceses have been challenged to call all abusers to repent and submit to civil law.
In the Philippine Church, no similar investigation by an outside agency would ever happen. There is too much to deny and hide as Cardinal Archbishop Antonio Tagle said on BBC some years ago that child sexual abuse in the Church is a private internal matter for the Church to deal with. Pope Francis has a different teaching, they must be held accountable to the civil authorities, no impunity is allowed.
A Catholic priest is facing justice in Cagayan. Father Israel is in jail, no bail, he is accused of alleged multiple rape and sexual assault crimes against a 15-year-old Church volunteer. Father Conrad Mantac, 62, was arrested in March this year for the alleged rape of a 17-year-old choir member. Regional Trial Court Judge Reginald Fuentebella issued the arrest warrant.
Last February 2023, a Negros Occidental priest, Father Aron Buenacosa, parish priest, was arrested and charged with the alleged rape of a child only 4 years old. The child has constantly repeated her story of the abuse done to her. The judge just has to listen and believe. “Let it be clear that before these abominations, the Church will spare no effort to do all that is necessary to bring to justice whosoever has committed such crimes,” Pope Francis said. He warned members of the child-abusing clergy: “Convert and hand yourself over to human justice, and prepare for divine justice.”
We see hope in the Philippine judiciary that is acting on Christian convictions and principles more swiftly and more determined to bring healing through justice for the child victims. Hopeful that the clerics and bishops will hand over the pedophile priests to be held accountable and not hide them away in retreat houses and therapy shelters to keep them away from justice in the false hope to cure them.
The abusers get the therapy in a comfortable retreat house while the victims are abandoned, intimidated, given no therapy, no help, no Good Samaritan to heal and help. Their parents are paid off to drop any complaint and bribery abounds. The Philippine law is clear: To molest a child 16 years or younger is statutory rape and if one does it, he answers to the law. Justice is coming and coming swiftly.
In Iba, Zambales, Judge Maribel Mariano-Beltran is holding continuous hearings all day, taking testimony of a child in the morning and cross-examination in the afternoon. The child victim is not stressed by the long wait of weeks, even months, before cross-examination. More recently, the prosecutors were petitioning the judges to refer vulnerable children to protective homes where they are healed and empowered. Provincial Prosecutor Emelyn Nacin-Catolico has just approved a case of sexual assault and qualified rape and acts of lasciviousness to be elevated to the court against the father of a 15-year-old child in the care of the Preda Foundation. Her mother was trying to stop the child from testifying and the prosecutors had her protected in the care of the Preda home. The prosecution’s strong case was researched and written by assistant Olivia Non-Finones in 10 pages of convincing legal arguments.
Preda Foundation social workers support 77 child victims/survivors in a residential therapeutic home. They overcome the trauma of the abuse by releasing their anger, hurt and pain through Emotional Release Therapy and become empowered, self-confident and articulate in testifying about how and when they were abused. The children win an average of 17 to 18 convictions every year. In 2022 alone, they won 21 convictions. Life sentences were handed down by the judge in most cases.
Until recently, priests believed they could get away with the abuse because of their status, money, prestige and support of the bishops.
One protective bishop calls the child abuser priest “his son.”
Pope Francis called them otherwise. “Often, behind their boundless amiability, impeccable activity and angelic faces, they shamelessly conceal a vicious wolf ready to devour innocent souls,” he said in his Christmas message in 2018. With such “vicious wolf” tendencies lurking behind a mask of sanctity and an image of holiness, they rape and abuse their victims. The pedophile priests can persuade everyone that they are innocent, showing “impeccable activity and angelic faces.” They blame the child for lying and declare that they are innocent victims themselves.
Clearly, some clerics and bishops are covering up crimes.This is what brings the priesthood and our faith into disrepute. Faith is anchored on Jesus of Nazareth, His words and actions, not so much on dogmas, rites and rituals, Faith is about believing and acting on the belief that goodness, truth and love of neighbor through social action for justice will overcome evil.
This is the challenge facing every member of the Church, the People of God: To be a person of integrity, true faith in standing against evil and loving by helping our neighbor as did the Good Samaritan healing the wounded and the abused.
Jesus of Nazareth said the child is the most important in the Kingdom and the abusers must be brought to justice, “a giant millstone be tied around his neck and he be thrown into the deep sea” (Matthew 18:7). The pedophile priests and those who protect them abuse the victims again and again by denying them justice and healing. They also damage the faith of the People of God, damage the priesthood and bring all good honest priests and religious into disrepute.
Most, however, just stay quiet and do little about it. Pope Francis said some pedophile priests and their backers, “without batting an eye,” were ready to enter into a “web of corruption” by abusing children and covering up the crimes or failing to report such sexual child abuse. Everyone has to stand and support Pope Francis and all the good people who are speaking out and demandin honesty.in cleansing the Church of the “filth” of clerical child abuse as Pope Benedict said, and bring back the fighting spirit for human rights, child rights, justice, dignity and the goodness and truth that will overcome evil.This is what faith is: action for justice and truth.
Send any information you may have about any victim of child abuse and you and the victim will get support and help.
shaycullen@gmail.com
www.preda.org