Despite the outcry from various concerned parties and entities, the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines remained firm to their campaign to ward off the spread of “fake news” over the internet. Moreover, CBCP never gave a public statement, they were totally silent about the issue as if they had no intentions to justify or defend at least, their so-called “propaganda”.
RJ Nieto, the man behind Thinking Pinoy (TP) blog, which was included on the list released by CBCP and Rappler, made a simple recollection and to its surprise, was able to unearth some grievous mistakes involving CBCP and some of its laities.
After a bit of research, Thinking Pinoy discovered that there’s one good reason behind the CBCP’s relative silence.
"What is it? CBCP doesn’t want to open a big can of worms. That is, Duterte’s allegations of sexual deviance among priests appear to be true, not only for some of the popes, but also for Filipino clergy,” Thinking Pinoy wrote.
Citing the confession made by then CBCP President Archbishop Rolando Quevedo in 2002, Thinking Pinoy wrote:
“We confess that cases of grave sexual misconduct by clerics and religious in the Philippines have rocked the bark of Peter,” Arcbishop Quevedo said.
He added, “We your bishops are now in the process of drafting thorough wide consultation with experts from among the lay people, religious men and women, a protocol that addresses the various types of sexual abuse and misconduct."
Following Quevedo’s statement was a list of four specific instances of sexual deviance and sexual abuse perpetuated by members of the church hierarchy. First to be discussed by Thinking Pinoy was Antipolo Bishop Crisostomo Yalung’s romantic affair that produced two lovely children.
Bishop Yalung, according to a Philippine Star article, reportedly fathered two children with Rances.
“The trio’s story would have made a good plot for a telenovela, but Yalung refused to comment on it when asked for his side of the story. Yalung is currently based in California,” claimed Thinking Pinoy.
Second instance was regarding Pampanga’s Fr. Jeffrey Louie Maghirang and his so-called “cam-to-cam” fun with a married woman.
“A Kapampangan husband caught his wife cheating after he discovered recorded a skype a video conversation between his wife and Fr. Maghirang… After the discovery, the fuming husband approached Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David and showed the latter a text message, where Fr. Maghirang told the man’s wife, 'Sige na babes, sleep na tayo, gagawa pa ko ng homily',” Thinking Pinoy wrote in his article.
Third instance involves Ifugao’s Fr. Gabriel Madangeng Jr.’s and the rape issue of three young and religious teenage girls.
To further explain the case Thinking Pinoy wrote:
“Rev. Gabriel Madangeng, Jr. was accused in 2008 of raping three underage girls on separate occasions in Natonin, Mountain Province. The Diocese of Bontoc-Lagawe, which supervises the parishes in Ifugao and Mountain provinces, attempted to settle out of court. One of the victims agreed while the other two decided to press charges.”
The last instance, referred to by Thinking Pinoy as a “more serious” sexual offense concerns Cebu’s Fr. Apolinario "Jing" Mejorada and his “domination” of four teenage altar boys.
“In 2002,” Thinking Pinoy explained, “a 21-year-old former altar boy accused Rev. Apolinario Mejorada of sexually abusing him and three others when the latter was still a rector of the Basilica Minore de Sto. Niño in Cebu City”.
Given all these devious instances, Thinking Pinoy wrote five significant speculations.
First, TP claimed that despite the CBCP’s admission of the probable existence of 200 sexually deviant priests or bishops, not a single priest have ever been put to jail guilty of any sexual offense.
Second, with CBCP’s desire to financially settle these cases, the money they use to pay these rape victims has no other possible sources aside from the Churches’ Sunday Mass Collections.
Third, despite the priests’ abuses, they were still allowed to exercise their priestly duties, at the peril of unknowing churchgoers which is so unlikely.
Fourth, Thinking Pinoy scrutinized the media claiming that “after the initial report and a follow-up, media seems to immediately and magically lose interest in these cases” as if there is some “under-the-table” agenda that had happened.
And finally, the most disturbing fact according to Thinking Pinoy was that, not a single priest was arrested by the police, EVER. Never mind putting them on trial or putting them behind bars. Not a single priest was ever arrested, period.
In conclusion to the very controversial revelation made by Thinking Pinoy, it posed a significant question soliciting public’s choice as to which among the three choices below is “less evil”.
Would it be "Duterte, the foul-mouthed guy who joked about rape, but risked his life to save a rape victim”, or “one of the sweet talkers Roxas, Poe, and Binay, who coddle a child rapist”, or could it be “the Catholic Church in the Philippines that’s filled with pedophiles and philanderers, that protects pedophiles and philanderers.”
Leaving the choice up for the Filipino citizens, Thinking Pinoy had finally concluded its post with simple note:
“Yes, in the CBCP vs Duterte issue, it boils down to a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.”
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Source: RJ Nieto | Thinking Pinoy Facebook
