Archdiocese of Agana, Apuron not represented by same counsel

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
August 10, 2016

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/08/10/archdiocese-agana-apuron-not-represented-same-counsel/88441094/

The Archdiocese of Agana has retained the law offices of Cunliffe & Cook to represent it in a $2 million libel and slander lawsuit filed by former altar boys who said the church defamed them after they publicly accused Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of sexually assaulting them in the 1970s.

Cunliffe & Cook, however, does not represent Apuron. It has been retained as counsel for the Archdiocese of Agana, as administered by Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai. Cunliffe & Cook asked for, and was granted, an extension to file a response to the amended libel and slander complaint, from Aug. 11 to Sept. 11.

Apuron, who has been temporarily stripped by the Vatican of his administrative authority over the local church, is being represented in the lawsuit by the Law Office of Jacqueline T. Terlaje, officials with the law firm stated Wednesday.

The Vatican sent Hon to Guam in early June to temporarily administer the local Catholic church while allegations of sex abuse against Apuron are investigated.

Apuron is not charged with any crime. The statute of limitations in effect at the time of the alleged assaults in Agat, nearly 40 years ago, prevent criminal prosecution.

Hon has said he and other local church officials do not know where Apuron is, but acknowledged that Apuron was in Rome in late May.

Three former Agat altar boys and the mother of a fourth altar boy, who died 11 years ago, revised their $2 million libel and slander lawsuit, citing more examples in which the local church allegedly defamed them after they made their allegations public by calling them liars. They are represented by attorney David Lujan.

Apuron, the Archdiocese of Agana and up to 50 other unnamed people, were listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

Attorney John Terlaje initially represented the Archdiocese of Agana, which later retained Cunliffe & Cook.

The revised lawsuit argues that Hon, who has temporarily assumed Apuron’s duties in Guam, should be held equally accountable for past statements by the church because the church had not retracted or repudiated any of the statements.

But after the lawsuit was filed, Hon retracted past statements by Apuron and the Archdiocese of Agana which accused Apuron’s accusers of lying. Hon said he is deeply troubled by the sexual abuse allegations brought against Apuron, and that the archdiocese should always assume and believe that the intent of those who make allegations of sexual abuse is to bring to light serious claims of abuse.

The revised lawsuit accuses Apuron and the church of making defamatory statements against the accusers, despite knowing, “there had already been a history of sexual abuse committed by priests in the Agana Archdiocese.”

The plaintiffs in the libel and slander suit are former altar boys Roy T. Quintanilla, Walter Denton and Roland Sondia, along with Doris Concepcion, mother of the late Sonny Quinata, also a former altar boy.

The former altar boys started coming out in May, publicly accusing Apuron of sexual abuse in the 1970s.