Controversial and painful events in the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines
UNEXPLAINED DEATH OF FATHER BALTAZAR ACOMPAÑADO JR. OF NAGA CITY
Father Baltazar Acompañado, Jr. served as parochial vicar of St. John the Evangelist Church in Naga City in 2003. After that he got assigned as professor at the Holy Rosary Major Seminary in the same city before he got appointed director of the Holy Rosary Preparatory Seminary in San Jose town and Archdiocesan Vocation ministry.
On 28 July 2010 morning, Father Baltazar was found dead in his room at the seminary's compound. He bore a gunshot wound in the head with his right hand holding a gun, as if committing a suicide.
Police Investigation
San Jose Police who investigated his death obtained information that Father Baltazar supposed to have went out on 27 July 2010 (Tuesday) with a 15-year-old girl. A person arrested as the supposed "girl's pimp" told the police that the priest asked her to look for a girl who could accompany him to a mall in Naga City. The girl immediately agreed when asked, saying that she needed "the money." The priest supposedly paid the "pimp" with P500 for finding him a girl.
The priest and the girl supposedly returned to San Jose town on Tuesday night.
Official Statement
Archbishop Leonardo Legazpi said that Father Baltazar was a "good and dedicated priest."
Analysis
While murder as the cause of death could be far-fetched depending on the security status of the seminary where Fr. Baltazar died, that possibility can still happen. Suicide might be the more obvious cause, but any well-done murder can be made to look like a suicide. But still suicide can explain a possible problematic state of mind when the report on an earlier "date" happens to be true. The devil can use sin mercilessly in drumming up unbearable "accusations" that can overwhelm the priest into seeking death instead. But all these are possibilities and speculation at best until the truth is known on what really happened.
Kate's report appeared to be somewhat shaky in reporting a "date" if she believed what the witness had told her. But the way she wrote the report title smacked of sensationalism, despite her uncertainty of facts expressed in the question mark. If she had some allowances with the witness, she could have made a more balanced title of the report, such as "Priest died from alleged suicide; witness alleged a prior liaison."
Sources
Delovieres, Kate: "Priest had date with teen before alleged suicide?" ABS-CBN News.com 30 July 2010
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FR. JOSE BELCIÑA CHARGED FOR CHILD ABUSE, NOT RAPE
On 23 June 2006, the special panel tasked to conduct preliminary investigation on rape charges against Fr. Jose Belciña, parish priest at St. Francis of Assisi church in Maslog, Danao City (Cebu), unanimously agreed that there is enough evidence that consensual sex happened with the underaged complainant at least once, and not rape. The panel was composed of assistant prosecutor Fernando Gubalane, Edgardo Montenegro and Lineth Lapinid.
The panel took precedence on the positive allegation of the complainant despite the denial of the respondent about the sexual intercourse. The behavior of the complainant after the first incident however did not show consistency with rape. She still met her boyfriend at the plaza that same evening, just after she left the convent. They spent time together just talking, but no mention about the alleged rape. The trauma in rape, the panel observed, would not allow her too casual and nonchalant behavior after the incident. Two days later she even heard him preach at the pulpit.
Complainant's Story
On 10 February 2006, the girl complainant accused Fr. Belciña of raping her at least thrice: on 22 July 2005, 25 December 2005, and 28 January 2006. At the time she (age 17) served as a working scholar at the St. Francis of Assisi Parish under its Educational Aid Program.
On 22 July 2005, she supposedly found herself inside the priest's room where he forced her into submission with a gun at her. After what happened, he told her never to tell anyone what happened. After that she supposedly never frequented in the convent anymore, except to get her allowance from Junjun (the priest's brother) or from a certain Alex.
On 25 December 2005, she was in the church preparing for the parish Christmas dinner. He supposedly asked her to go to his room and massage her, but ended up raping her instead.
On 28 January 2006, she supposedly came to the convent to ask the priest for money for a school project but ended up getting called again into his room.
The Priest's Story
Fr. Belciña denied on 6 March 2006 all the rape charges. During the first incident, he attended the choir practice with witnesses included in his affidavit. He said that she lied about not ever returning to the convent because she even went with him and other people to a birthday party the following day. She also continued to perform her chores there thereafter as a working scholar.
In the second incident, he said that the church was filled with people for the Christmas dinner, and would be impossible for such incident to occur without getting noticed.
In the third incident, he said she was not even with him because he attended a conference with Fr. Reynaldo Cui while she attended a band concert with a Gaspar Lucero.
Church Action
Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, the Archbishop of Cebu, sent a report of the incident to Vatican, which will decide what to do with the priest next.
Monsignor Achilles Dakay, archdiocesan spokesperson, said Fr. Belciña did not receive suspension, and can still officiate mass if he wished to. Neither was he deprived of his privileges.
Aftermath
The complainant apparently dropped the child abuse case filed against Fr. Belciña in exchange of a rumored P 300,000 in exchange for a settlement. She filed a desistance in court on 3 January 2007. In a New Year's Eve mass in 2007, Belciña made a public apology to the parishioners but not to the complainant, which his lawyer pertains to the trouble incident had brought to the parishioners. But Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale confirmed taht a public apology was a demand from the complainant's family, pointing unmistakably to the fact that a settlement indeed happened. The time of the mass (10 AM of December 31) had been scheduled for the public apology.
Both the defense lawyer and the church authorities appeared to be unaware of the settlement that happened, and felt that there were questions that should have been answered first.
Analysis
The scheduled time and date of the public apology known to many people, the demand of the complainant's family for a public apology, and the desistance filed in court by the complainant are enough proofs of a settlement arrived at between Fr. Belciña and the minor female complainant, with or without the rumored P 300,000 settlement money.
This settlement shortcircuited the process of finding the truth about what really happened. And this alone strongly indicates that a consensual sex took place, as the truth of even this would be too damaging to both when confirmed in the open court; thus the motive of the settlement. Many innocent priests in the history of the Catholic Church let themselves be condemned and vendicated by the truth alone, not in a private settlement. And this settlement spoke a lot of what must be left unconfirmed officially as to what really happened.
Sources
Karlon Rama with Jujemay Awit: "Fiscals on priest's case: No rape, only child abuse," Sun-Star Network Online 23 June 2006
Bong Wenceslao: "Priest's accuser needs understanding," Sun-Star Network Online 12 January 2007
Aledel Cuizon: "Dakay concerned about damaged reputation, what's next," Sun-Star Network Online 11 January 2007
Jujemay Awit: "Woman drops charge v. priest," Sun-Star Network Online 10 January 2007
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MSGR. CANDIDO UMALI CHARGED WITH MURDER OF AN ALTAR BOY
On December 2001, Msgr. Candido Umali (age 60), parish priest of San Vicente Parish in Gumaca, Quezon, was charged in the murder of a 15-year-old altar boy, Salvador "Gaigin" dela Fuente. Alvin Deguito, a 16-year old friend of dela Fuente, testified that the last persons who visited Dela Fuente before he was found lifeless in his quarters, were Umali and the cook, Ireneo de Jesus. Deguito also claimed that Umali had asked him for sexual favors in the past, which he resisted.
Msgr. Wilfredo Andrew admitted that Umali has been rumored a homosexual. But there rumors never became a formal complaint until the murder happened.
As a result, Pope John Paul II ordered the transfer of Gumaca's Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Emilio Marquez, to the Diocese Lucena on a still to be set date as Coadjutor Bishop to Bishop Profugo. Rev. Antonio Ranola, Cebu's Auxiliary Bishop, became the new Gumaca Apostolic Administrator until the See of Gumaca is empty, or another bishop gets appointed to it.
Sources:
"Pope relieves bishop as priest faces murder raps," Sun-Star Manila 28 June 2002
Analysis
While murder as the cause of death could be far-fetched depending on the security status of the seminary where Fr. Baltazar died, that possibility can still happen. Suicide might be the more obvious cause, but any well-done murder can be made to look like a suicide. But still suicide can explain a possible problematic state of mind when the report on an earlier "date" happens to be true. The devil can use sin mercilessly in drumming up unbearable "accusations" that can overwhelm the priest into seeking death instead. But all these are possibilities and speculation at best until the truth is known on what really happened.
Kate's report appeared to be somewhat shaky in reporting a "date" if she believed what the witness had told her. But the way she wrote the report title smacked of sensationalism, despite her uncertainty of facts expressed in the question mark. If she had some allowances with the witness, she could have made a more balanced title of the report, such as "Priest died from alleged suicide; witness alleged a prior liaison."
Sources
Delovieres, Kate: "Priest had date with teen before alleged suicide?" ABS-CBN News.com 30 July 2010
-----------------------
FR. JOSE BELCIÑA CHARGED FOR CHILD ABUSE, NOT RAPE
The panel took precedence on the positive allegation of the complainant despite the denial of the respondent about the sexual intercourse. The behavior of the complainant after the first incident however did not show consistency with rape. She still met her boyfriend at the plaza that same evening, just after she left the convent. They spent time together just talking, but no mention about the alleged rape. The trauma in rape, the panel observed, would not allow her too casual and nonchalant behavior after the incident. Two days later she even heard him preach at the pulpit.
Complainant's Story
On 10 February 2006, the girl complainant accused Fr. Belciña of raping her at least thrice: on 22 July 2005, 25 December 2005, and 28 January 2006. At the time she (age 17) served as a working scholar at the St. Francis of Assisi Parish under its Educational Aid Program.
On 22 July 2005, she supposedly found herself inside the priest's room where he forced her into submission with a gun at her. After what happened, he told her never to tell anyone what happened. After that she supposedly never frequented in the convent anymore, except to get her allowance from Junjun (the priest's brother) or from a certain Alex.
On 25 December 2005, she was in the church preparing for the parish Christmas dinner. He supposedly asked her to go to his room and massage her, but ended up raping her instead.
On 28 January 2006, she supposedly came to the convent to ask the priest for money for a school project but ended up getting called again into his room.
The Priest's Story
Fr. Belciña denied on 6 March 2006 all the rape charges. During the first incident, he attended the choir practice with witnesses included in his affidavit. He said that she lied about not ever returning to the convent because she even went with him and other people to a birthday party the following day. She also continued to perform her chores there thereafter as a working scholar.
In the second incident, he said that the church was filled with people for the Christmas dinner, and would be impossible for such incident to occur without getting noticed.
In the third incident, he said she was not even with him because he attended a conference with Fr. Reynaldo Cui while she attended a band concert with a Gaspar Lucero.
Church Action
Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, the Archbishop of Cebu, sent a report of the incident to Vatican, which will decide what to do with the priest next.
Monsignor Achilles Dakay, archdiocesan spokesperson, said Fr. Belciña did not receive suspension, and can still officiate mass if he wished to. Neither was he deprived of his privileges.
Aftermath
The complainant apparently dropped the child abuse case filed against Fr. Belciña in exchange of a rumored P 300,000 in exchange for a settlement. She filed a desistance in court on 3 January 2007. In a New Year's Eve mass in 2007, Belciña made a public apology to the parishioners but not to the complainant, which his lawyer pertains to the trouble incident had brought to the parishioners. But Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale confirmed taht a public apology was a demand from the complainant's family, pointing unmistakably to the fact that a settlement indeed happened. The time of the mass (10 AM of December 31) had been scheduled for the public apology.
Both the defense lawyer and the church authorities appeared to be unaware of the settlement that happened, and felt that there were questions that should have been answered first.
Analysis
The scheduled time and date of the public apology known to many people, the demand of the complainant's family for a public apology, and the desistance filed in court by the complainant are enough proofs of a settlement arrived at between Fr. Belciña and the minor female complainant, with or without the rumored P 300,000 settlement money.
This settlement shortcircuited the process of finding the truth about what really happened. And this alone strongly indicates that a consensual sex took place, as the truth of even this would be too damaging to both when confirmed in the open court; thus the motive of the settlement. Many innocent priests in the history of the Catholic Church let themselves be condemned and vendicated by the truth alone, not in a private settlement. And this settlement spoke a lot of what must be left unconfirmed officially as to what really happened.
Sources
Karlon Rama with Jujemay Awit: "Fiscals on priest's case: No rape, only child abuse," Sun-Star Network Online 23 June 2006
Bong Wenceslao: "Priest's accuser needs understanding," Sun-Star Network Online 12 January 2007
Aledel Cuizon: "Dakay concerned about damaged reputation, what's next," Sun-Star Network Online 11 January 2007
Jujemay Awit: "Woman drops charge v. priest," Sun-Star Network Online 10 January 2007
--------------------
MSGR. CANDIDO UMALI CHARGED WITH MURDER OF AN ALTAR BOY
On December 2001, Msgr. Candido Umali (age 60), parish priest of San Vicente Parish in Gumaca, Quezon, was charged in the murder of a 15-year-old altar boy, Salvador "Gaigin" dela Fuente. Alvin Deguito, a 16-year old friend of dela Fuente, testified that the last persons who visited Dela Fuente before he was found lifeless in his quarters, were Umali and the cook, Ireneo de Jesus. Deguito also claimed that Umali had asked him for sexual favors in the past, which he resisted.
Msgr. Wilfredo Andrew admitted that Umali has been rumored a homosexual. But there rumors never became a formal complaint until the murder happened.
As a result, Pope John Paul II ordered the transfer of Gumaca's Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Emilio Marquez, to the Diocese Lucena on a still to be set date as Coadjutor Bishop to Bishop Profugo. Rev. Antonio Ranola, Cebu's Auxiliary Bishop, became the new Gumaca Apostolic Administrator until the See of Gumaca is empty, or another bishop gets appointed to it.
Sources:
"Pope relieves bishop as priest faces murder raps," Sun-Star Manila 28 June 2002
