PHILIPPINES
GMA News
A high-ranking church official said the Catholic Church did not pay for the bail of the priest, who allegedly solicited sex with a 13 year-old girl, according to a post on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website.
“Not even one centavo,” Archbishop Oscar Cruz was quoted as saying.
Cruz, the head of the Church’s clergy dispensation office, was referring to 55-year-old Msgr. Arnel Lagarejos, who was arrested on Friday night in an entrapment operation while he was about to enter a motel with the girl.
Lagarejos, who is facing criminal charges for violating RA 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, posted a bail bond of P120,000 on Tuesday.
Cruz said priests accused of any criminal offense are responsible for their own legal expenses.
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