ILLINOIS, USA – I thought reports of Filipino Catholic priests involved in sexual abuse will no longer reach me.
According to INQUIRER.net US Bureau report published in PINOY, a monthly magazine here, the Rev. Armand Garcia, 49, allegedly had sexual contact with an altar girl at the Immaculate Heart Parish in Roxborough in Philadelphia. The priest allegedly offered the girl alcohol or marijuana over a period of years.
The case was filed in court against Garcia from the alleged incident in August 2014. His accuser came forward after he was transferred to St. Martin of Tours in Summerdale in 2017.
Garcia’s lawyer said his client has an unblemished record in more than a decade serving at various schools and parishes across the Philadelphia region, and should be considered innocent until proven guilty.
The suspect was released on $250,000 bond.
Living abroad means transitioning to a new environment completely different from what you know. When I came here and continued sending columns to the TIMES I promised myself that I will only talk about good news for my country and never embark on negative news that will only demean the good image of the Filipinos abroad. We should act as ambassadors of our country. Only the best of us should prevail.
But being in the media, we in the profession have the obligation to the public to know what’s happening around them. So I have to run counter to what I’ve promised and let the world know what some shenanigan priests are shamelessly doing inside the house of God. Sorry, I’m just doing my job, Padre.
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So my favorite “Probinsyano” Coco Martin is now a father! That’s if we are to believe the rumors that long time girlfriend Julia Montes recently gave birth.
He didn’t categorically deny that he was the father, but he admonished his unnamed detractors for talking about his private life.
According to him, he was not raised by his grandmother to mind other people’s lives.
Well as a reminder to Coco, like a politician who is being paid by the people’s money, his being in the movie industry will not exempt him from being talked about because he too is a public property and gets his living from moviegoers. Ang Probinsyano nga naman!
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A news item buried on Page 19 of the bi-monthly The Phil-Am Mega Scene here says Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has publicly opposed the proposal for the government to shift to federalism, contradicting the initiative of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte.
The presidential daughter who is being touted as possible heir to the throne of ‘King Digong’ warned that federalism may “worsen” the situation in some areas in Mindanao since it could empower local warlords.
I will not elaborate much further the story about Inday Sara as I said in my previous column that some of the news items coming from the Philippines are already bahaw (spoiled food) that I read when I was still there.
Anyway my position is parallel with my strong igso’s (kinakapatid, her mother Beth is my comadre) belief as federalism will only divide the Filipinos as what is happening now in Mindanao.
In another news item, Davao Region 11 has posted an 8.6 percent growth in 2018, maintaining its position as the second fastest growing economy among the 17 regions across the country.
Congratulations Inday Sara and again, Mr. President for a job well done for the people of Region 11.
