Will Calvo Veto Bill 326?

By Krystal Paco
KUAM
September 22, 2016

http://www.kuam.com/story/33154836/2016/09/Thursday/will-calvo-veto-bill-326


Friday is the deadline for Governor Eddie Calvo to take action on highly controversial legislation. Bill 326 seeks to lift the civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases. Advocates say the bill gives justice to survivors of abuse while critics worry about the potentially crippling consequences the bill could have not only on the church, but Catholic schools and other church services.

Joe Santos is the founder of the Silent No More movement - a petition that prompted senators to introduce Bill 326. "The mission then was to get the Legislature to pass a bill that would lift the statute of limitations and civil action against abusers of child sex abuse," he explained at a press event earlier today.

While the petition was circulated, survivors surfaced, including Roland Sondia, who alleges he was 15 years old when he was molested by Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who was a priest at the time. At today's press conference, Sondia made one last cry to the island's chief executive to sign the bill into law, saying, "Governor Calvo, please sign Bill 326. The Archdiocese of Agana must take total responsibility for the actions of Anthony Apuron. And the other perpetrators - this is not about money or destroying the church. It's about the church taking responsibility."

While Bill 326 was started by a petition, it ironically could end with another petition. On Wednesday, the Archdiocese of Agana submitted a petition containing 4,500 signatures asking Calvo to veto the bill. On the line - a bankrupt archdiocese and the potential closure of Catholic schools and other Catholic services to the community.

Guam's apostolic administrator, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, returned to Guam early Thursday morning. He, too, made a final plea to Calvo to veto Bill 326.

"We do need justice," said Hon. "And second, of course, if somebody did something wrong, let him or her be punished but not other innocent people who may be involved in getting this service from the archdiocese."

But more debate continues. Although former senator Bob Klitzkie and former attorney general Doug Moylan agree survivors deserve justice, they don't agree on how best to proceed. Earlier this week, Moylan spoke out urging the governor and senators to seek a declaratory judgment from the Supreme Court. Klitzkie says that the governor can only request concerning his power and senators can only request concerning its operations but they can't ask a general question about the constitutionality of a law affecting private parties.

"There cannot be a declaratory judgment on a bill. There could be a declaratory judgment if the governor asks for it or if the legislature asks for it, dealing with their own powers and authority. Those kinds of declaratory judgment available at the Supreme Court are not available to private parties," he stated.

Moylan said, "The Catholic Church has been here. And is even older than the Government of Guam itself. So to say that this isn't a matter of great public importance, Guam being one of the few jurisdictions in the entire United States where most of our jurisdiction is Catholic, we are going to be affected by this. Your Sunday masses at the minimum reflect the fact there are resources spent on paying the clergy. Catholic schools for that matter, our bussing system, the Catholic schools, they take away the burden upon the Government of Guam taxpayer, as you can see."