PHILIPPINES
The Manila Times
BY FR. SHAY CULLEN ON AUGUST 6, 2017
The recent arrest of a Catholic parish priest, accused of trafficking a 13-year-old in Marikina City, is highly unusual. He was charged with violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. Most cases of clerical child abuse go unreported or are covered up in the Philippines. In other countries, the scandal of clerical child abuse has also left thousands of victims without redress, help, therapy or a chance for justice.
The Philippines’ Child Protection Law, otherwise known as Republic Act 7610, has a provision in Section 6 that punishes acts such as the taking of a child to a secluded place, in a vehicle or a motel, by an adult not her relative for purposes of sexual abuse. This provision of the law is to prevent rape and to bring the suspect to justice.
The institutional church, that is, the hierarchy in many countries, has failed in its obligation and duty to protect children and actively pursue child abusers when the evidence was strong. In the past, the church institutions in different countries even facilitated payoffs to parents of child victims and tried to use influence with the authorities to have charges against priests and members of religious groups dropped. Other clergy were moved to other parishes when complaints of child abuse were made.
In many cases, no action was taken by church authorities to protect the child and report the alleged abuser to the authorities. Now, there have been big changes in church procedures in dealing with child abuse cases and a zero tolerance policy is in place, thanks to Pope Francis.
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