Alicia Limtiaco chairs board to aid clergy abuse victims

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
April 23, 2017

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/04/23/alicia-limtiaco-chairs-board-aid-clergy-abuse-victims/100808952/

Alicia Limtiaco, a former U.S. Attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, is announced as chairwoman of the board for Hope and Healing Guam during a press conference at the Hilton Guam Resort and Spa in Tumon on April 23, 2017. Photo by Frank San Nicolas

Former U.S. Attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands Alicia Limtiaco has been tapped as volunteer chairwoman of an independent board helping out dozens of Guam clergy sex abuse victims.

Limtiaco is now chairwoman of the board of Hope and Healing Guam, a program offering professional counseling, treatment, spiritual healing, compensation and justice to clergy sex abuse victims.

Although initiated and funded by the Archdiocese of Agana using a seed money of $1 million, Hope and Healing acts as an independent body. Other board members will be announced later. Counseling has started for those who have called the program's hotline, 1-888-649-5288.

The board will review each victim's claim, but Limtiaco said the program is not a substitute for any litigation.

Attorney Michael Caspino, executive director of Hope and Healing Guam, announced Limtiaco's appointment during a press conference at Hilton Resort and Spa in Tumon Sunday.

Caspino said Limtiaco has the character, integrity and community respect to lead the board.

"It's very important to stress that in the discussions I've been having with Mr. Caspino, that has been made clear to me and I've been reassured that this board will be an independent board, that we will not be controlled by the archdiocese, that we are not a board that is here to defend the church or the archdiocese or any perpetrators of clergy abuse and that we are here to serve the victims and the survivors of abuse. We are here to ensure that their voices are heard, we are here to ensure that justice is served," said Limtiaco, who also served as Guam's attorney general.

The archdiocese faces 54 clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed so far in either local or federal courts, including against Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, who is also undergoing a Vatican canonical penal trial.

Hope and Healing will announce Tuesday a three-member board of incorporators, which will act as a check and balance.