The Philippines: The Catholic Church

Sex scandals have hit the Catholic Church in the Philippines. Bienvenido Macario sends us this Agence France Presse report (8/24/02) "Ex-nun sues priest, Catholic archdioceses for rape, coverup":

The Roman Catholic Church, dogged by grave cases of sexual misconduct committed by priests, is faced with another dilemma, this time a lawsuit filed by a former Filipino nun against three archdioceses, two of them in the United States and one in the Philippines, accusing them of protecting a priest who raped her 19 years ago. Sylvia Martinez Arambulo, originally from the Philippines but now a naturalized American citizen, sued Msgr. Ernesto Villaroya for aggression and rape. She also sued the archdioceses of Los Angeles; San Antonio, Texas, and Masbate for fraud and conspiracy, her lawyer, George Goldberg, said last Thursday.

When asked on the latest sexual misconduct charges involving Villaroya, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), however, refused to comment, saying it does not know the details. Msgr. Hernando Coronel, CBCP spokesman, said although the incident occurred in the Philippines, the charges and cases filed (by the former nun) were in the United States and so "we refrain from issuing any statement." "First, we don't know the matter and second, it is in America, so we cannot give any comment or reaction to it," Coronel said.

In the lawsuit filed last Aug. 8 at the Los Angeles court at Van Nuys, Arambulo states the Church concealed Villaroya's movements to prevent him having to face charges. He is currently a priest in San Antonio, Texas.

"It appears that the archdioceses of Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Masbate (in the Philippines) all conspired to keep the identity and location of the monsignor from the authorities and the victim," Goldberg told reporters. "We believe Sylvia is not the only nun to have been raped by a priest. We believe this is the tip of the iceberg." He affirms Arambulo was raped in 1983 in the Philippines and gave birth in 1984 to a son, forcing her to leave the religious order.

Only in early 2002, when the priest contacted Arambulo, who is now married to a US citizen in Los Angeles, did she know where her aggressor was. "During the 1990s, we sent him three letters when we found out he was living in Los Angeles and performing the functions of a priest, and told him to cease and desist," Goldberg said. Although he has not admitted to raping Arambulo, Villaroya in June signed an admission of paternity, Goldberg said.

Last July, Dagupan, Pangasinan Archbishop Oscar Cruz condemned a Philippine-born priest charged with sexually abusing an eight-year-old girl two decades ago in Florida, saying the man should be arrested and tried. US officials had issued an arrest warrant for Rev. Polienato Bernabe, 61, who is charged with capital sexual battery, a felony. There is no statute of limitations for having sexual intercourse with a child under 12. If convicted, he could face life in prison. US investigators said Bernabe could be in the Philippines".

Ronald Hilton - 8/27/02