Friday, March 14, 2008 Filing of case vs. priest gives complainants hope
THE filing of a criminal case against Fr. Benedicto Ejares gave the complainants hope that they will get justice. They are now looking forward to a fair trial of their case.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 Regional Director Teodolo Romo said the decision of the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor to reverse its position and recommend the filing of a criminal case against Ejares had positive effects on the complainants.
He said that the seven high school students who pursued their complaint against the priest are “happy” and are “looking forward to getting the justice they seek.”
“They are now hopeful because they now think that people believe them. This has helped them endure psychologically what happened. They are now looking forward to a fair trial,” Romo told reporters yesterday.
The seven are among the 20 students who complained that Ejares touched them inappropriately while they were attending a Life in the Spirit Seminar organized by the Catholic charismatic group Oasis of Love in their school in Nov. 14, 2006.
They are now in their fourth year at the Abellana National School.
The complainants claimed that the priest stroked their arms and backs and toyed with the straps of their bra while hearing their confession. They first reported their complaints to a local television station.
Damage
After talking to the students sometime in April 2007, the National Bureau of Investigation filed complaints against Ejares. However, only seven of them submitted sworn affidavits, which were used as the basis of the complaint.
Romo said they had the students undergo a psychological test and the findings showed psychosocial damage.
A psychological report made by Dr. Frederick Boholst, former chairman of the University of San Carlos’ Department of Psychology and a practicing psychotherapist, confirmed that the children were indeed traumatized after the incident. His report was attached to the complaint.
The City Prosecutor, after reversing its position in a resolution it issued in October last year, resolved last month to file a criminal case against Ejares for one count of child abuse.
Ejares then filed a petition to reverse the Feb. 28 resolution of the prosecutor’s office.
For now, DSWD will continue to have social workers assist the complainants and their families so they can recover from the trauma the incident caused.
Apart from these students’ complaint, Romo said the agency has not received other referrals of complainants involving members of the Roman Catholic clergy. (NRC)
