BORONGAN CITY (PHILIPPINES)
Manila Times [Manila, Philippines]
September 18, 2023
By Claire Bernadette Mondares
A Filipino priest from the Diocese of Borongan was dismissed due to alleged sexual abuse involving minors, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.
CBCP said Pope Francis’ decision to expel Pio Aclon was announced Sunday by the Diocese of Borongan.
“He is, therefore, no longer a cleric and cannot exercise priestly ministry in the Church,” the diocese wrote in a circular.
Aclon last served at a minor seminary in Borongan before the diocese suspended him from his clerical duties.
The CBCP has assured the public that there will be no cover-up in the investigation of sexual abuse cases involving the clergy.
The CBCP also said it has created an office that will help protect minors from alleged sexual abuses by the clergy. Each diocese had also developed its own system for handling reports of sexual abuse or misconduct.