Ex-Filipina nun sues Church for rape by priest 19 years ago

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – A former nun has sued three Roman Catholic archdioceses, two of them in the United States and one in the Philippines, accusing them of protecting a priest who raped her 19 years ago, her lawyer said yesterday.

Sylvia Martinez Aram-bulo, originally from the Philippines but now a naturalized US citizen, sued Monsignor Ernesto Villaroya for aggression and rape.

She also sued the archdioceses of Los Angeles, San Antonio, Texas, and Masbate, in the Philippines, for fraud and conspiracy, said her lawyer George Goldberg.

In the lawsuit, filed Aug. 8 at the Los Angeles court at Van Nuys, Arambulo states that the Church concealed Villaroya’s movements to prevent him having to face charges. He is currently a priest in San Antonio, Texas.

"It appears that the archdioceses of Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Masbate in the Philippines all conspired to keep the identity and location of the monsignor from the authorities and the victim," Goldberg told reporters.

"We believe Sylvia is not the only nun to have been raped by a priest. We believe this is the tip of the iceberg," he said.

He affirms Arambulo was raped in 1983 in the Philippines and gave birth in 1984 to a son, forcing her to leave the religious order.

Only in early 2002, when the priest contacted Arambulo, who is now married to a US citizen here, did she know where her aggressor was.

"During the 1990s we sent him three letters when we found out he was living in Los Angeles and performing the functions of a priest, and told him to cease and desist," said Goldberg.

Although he has not admitted raping Arambulo, Villaroya in June signed an admission of paternity, Goldberg said.