Students cry harassment versus priest

Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday ordered the city's Department of Social Welfare and Services to look into the allegation of female high school students that a priest physically molested them during a confession.

"We have to look into the allegations," Osmeña said.

Over 20 female students of the Abellana National School (ANS) alleged that the incident happened during a confession following the Life in the Spirit Seminar that was facilitated by the religious organization Oasis of Love.

The priest remains unidentified.

The students only spilled the beans upon prodding of their parents and teachers to whom they first reported the alleged incident.

"Let this be a general notice to all schools...you shouldn't be shy. You should report on the spot," Osmeña said.

"We should make it clear that there are certain norms and conducts that are acceptable. We should alert the different schools," he added.

Osmeña said that the investigation is necessary because sexual harassment, at times, is matter of perception especially that children are brought up in a very cultured setting.

He said that the investigation should determine how the students got into the situation and if the person who they alleged to have harassed them was indeed a priest.

The mayor contended that there is a possibility that the man that the students referred to may not really be a priest. He pointed out that Filipinos, because of religious tradition, easily accommodates priests.

But in an interview with Banat News, Msgr. Achilles Dakay, the spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Cebu, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal has reportedly talked to the priest, who denied the allegations.

He said the priest is reportedly willing to face the complainants at the right time.

Dakay said the report that came out in another publication was very premature because it did not indicate the side of the priest involved.

Joy Augustus Young, city hall consultant on education, has started its investigation on the reported sexual harassment incident.

In a report over TV Patrol Cebu, Young expressed his disappointment about the incident involving a priest saying that the life in spirit seminar has even greatly affected the academic hours of the students.

Reports that reached the Cebu City Division office revealed that the priest has already left for Cagayan De Oro city.

A total of 20 high school students complained to TV Patrol Cebu about the alleged sexual harassment by the priest.

The incident happened last November 13 at the grand stand of the Cebu City Sports Center where they had confession.

They alleged that the priest touched the bra of some students and even asked one of them to go out on a date and have some drinks.

But the problem according to Nerissa Camacho, guidance counselor of ANS is that not one of the students can give the name of the priest, although they could remember how he looked. - with Ramil Ayuman