‘Sacristan’ accuses Cruz of molestation

A tabloid journalist from Pangasinan claiming to be a former sacristan (acolyte) surfaced yesterday at the office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and accused principal jueteng whistle-blower Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz of sexual abuse and links to the illegal drug trade.

The man, who introduced himself as Jaime Aquino, gave reporters copies of his complaint affidavit, which was addressed to Pope Benedict XVI in Rome.

In his affidavit, the 37-year-old Aquino, of Barangay Primicias, Mapandan, Pangasinan, accused Cruz of allegedly fathering a seven-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl by a certain Eliza Manzano.

According to Aquino, the archbishop shared a rented house with Manzano in Barangay Bayaoas in Urdaneta City.

Aquino also accused Cruz of receiving money from drug traffickers and of being a heavy gambler. Aquino also said he was sexually abused by Cruz while serving as an errand boy for the prelate in Pangasinan 18 years ago.

However, during a confrontation at the CBCP media office, Aquino failed to recognize Cruz.

It was only after reporters identified Cruz that Aquino said he recognized the prelate, a lapse questioned by the prelate when he confronted Aquino: "How can you accuse me of doing those things when you obviously do not even know me?"

Asked why he only made the alleged sexual abuses public now, Aquino said he could no longer stomach the publicity now being showered on Cruz as the principal whistle-blower in the ongoing Senate jueteng probe.

After his impromptu press conference, Aquino, accompanied by tabloid columnist Pablo Hernandez, proceeded to the CBCP Secretariat to have a copy of his 13-page sworn affidavit received.

Cruz had earlier told journalists he expected such an attack from his opponents. He denied Aquino’s allegations.

"I was expecting this to happen. I cannot blame (Aquino) for doing this," he said. "Malamang may matinding pangangailangan siya (He must have some pressing needs). I expected this attack and more attacks against me."

Cruz said he would not file any charges against Aquino.

Early this month, Cruz bared a plot to discredit him by linking him to a sexual abuse case with the aim of destroying his credibility as an anti-jueteng crusader.

"Next will come the attempt to attack my moral integrity," Cruz had said in the earlier statement. "There will be certain characters scheduled to come out with vacuous accusations about the long list of the ‘boys and girls’ as well as the ‘men and women’ in my life. This is funny and entertaining, to say the least."

Cruz said in an earlier telephone interview that he had received information about a man who would come forward claiming to be a former lover in order to discredit him.

"I am not taking this seriously. I am just laughing at it," he had said.

The allegedly fabricated sex scandal was also challenged by former senator Francisco Tatad.

In an e-mailed statement, Tatad, who chairs the Citizens Versus Corruption Task Force, said his group received reports that two highly-placed operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had allegedly been asked by people close to the President to produce a "witness" who would claim to have had a sexual relationship with Cruz.

Tatad said one of the NBI operatives was linked to a Cebu-based drug lord and the other operative is suspected of alleged involvement in jueteng.

"It appears that they will stop at nothing. They will sink lower than the lowest in their effort to get back at the archbishop," Tatad said. "They apparently hope to divert public attention from their own crimes to something else. But the public is in no mood to be distracted. Archbishop Cruz has the support of most Filipinos."

Cruz also reported receiving death threats over his exposé that led to Senate committee hearings on the jueteng issue. According to Cruz, the threats "came through anonymous letters, phone calls, text messages. Yet, these have not lessened much less stopped the anti-jueteng work. In fact, the action to counter the gambling syndicate has now become even more intense and interesting."

Cruz also expected attacks on his moral character.

"They are worried. They are disturbed. They are mounting their self-defense with no holds barred," Cruz said.

"They are now very nervous, very apprehensive, and very defensive. Anything and everything — including the proverbial ‘kitchen sink’ — are all being thrown out into the jueteng probe to muddle the issue, to confuse the people, to cover up the truth."

Cruz said he would present another new witness at the Senate jueteng hearings. This new witness, he said, is also deeply involved in jueteng operations like his previous witness, former barangay captain Wilfredo Mayor.

Demolition Job

Opposition Senators Aquilino Pimentel and Panfilo Lacson branded the filing of sexual misconduct charges against Cruz as part of a demolition job against the prelate.

Pimentel said the filing of these charges is meant to divert public attention from the jueteng controversy in which members of the First Family were implicated for allegedly receiving payoffs from illegal gambling operations.

"I see it as a demolition job meant to misdirect the public focus," Pimentel said.

Lacson also accused the administration of launching the demolition job against Cruz. "The administration will not stop at anything to hide the truth," he said, adding that the accusations against Cruz were designed to derail the jueteng investigations in both chambers of Congress.

Reacting to Sen. Edgardo Angara’s call to end the jueteng hearings, Lacson said Angara was following the line peddled by administration senators.

Angara said the Senate probe should end and all evidence gathered so far should be turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman for the filing of proper charges. — With reports from Christina Mendez