Guam - Hope and Healing Guam has announced that former US Attorney Alicia Limtiaco will be the program's new chairperson of their Board of Evaluators.

Hope and Healing Guam is a non-profit agency created to offer counseling services and compensation to victims of clergy sexual abuse. The executive director, Attorney Michael Caspino, was hired by the Archdiocese of Agana which is also funding the program. Caspino says initial seed money for the project is $1 million.

Caspino said that in their search for a chairperson, Limtiaco's name continued to pop up. Although Limtiaco has an extensive legal background, having served as Guam Attorney General and US Attorney, Caspino notes that Limtiaco was chosen not necessarily for her legal background but for her character and integrity.

In addition, Caspino said he spoke with Attorneys David Lujan and Kevin Fowler whose clients are suing the Archdiocese of Agana for civil claims of sexual abuse, and he says both seemed receptive of Limtiaco's designation. Caspino also intends to speak with Attorney Anthony Perez who has also filed lawsuits against the church on behalf of his clients.

With "dozens and dozens" of calls being made into the Hope and Healing hotline since it was opened a few days earlier, Caspino says the archdiocese is in the process of liquidating some of its assets as the $1 million in seed money clearly will not cover all the funds needed to cover their expenses. Caspino did not identify which assets are in the process of being liquidated but he did say that there is a "list."

There are currently 53 pending lawsuits against the church from victims and survivors who have filed claims against the church, the Boy Scouts of America and various clergy members past and present. A majority of those lawsuits were filed by Attorney Lujan's clients with each plaintiff seeking either $5 million or $10 million in damages each.

Attorney Fowler and Attorney Perez also have a handful of clients that have filed suit against the archdiocese, however those plaintiffs have not listed an specific amount they are seeking in damages.

Both Caspino and Limtiaco emphasized that the goal of Hope and Healing Guam is to provide support and counseling for victims of sexual abuse and that each victim will have the discretion of moving forward with litigation regardless of their involvement in Hope and Healing Guam.

Hope and Healing Guam will be introducing a separate Board of Incorporators on Tuesday made up of three members. The remaining six members of the Board of Evaluators will be announced at a later date.