Biliran bishop accused of sexual molestation

ABS CBN as of 12/29/2007

A former missionary in Biliran, Leyte has accused the bishop of Naval town of sexually molesting boys.

Ging Reyes, ABS-CBN News North America bureau chief, reported that Stephen Michael Greinke, an ex-missionary who worked for the diocese of Naval in the Visayas, said he has been calling for the ouster of Catholic Bishop Filomento Bactol for the last seven years.

Greinke alleged that Bactol abused his power and sexually molested young boys.

“I lived with the bishop at his palace. And at night he would have young men sleeping in his bedroom – kids who were under the age of 16 sleeping with him at night. Again I thought that was very inappropriate and it became very ‘gossiping, chismoso, around about the bishop’s behavior with the children,'” Greinke told Reyes. Continue reading “Biliran bishop accused of sexual molestation”

Biliran bishop denies sexual abuse raps

12/24/2007 6:36 PM
ABS-CBN

A Catholic bishop based in Biliran dismissed allegations that he molested a former missionary, ABS-CBN Regional Network Group reported.

Bishop Filomeno Bactol of the Diocese of Naval said that he never molested the former missionary and other men, correspondent Rico Lucena reported.

The allegations were contained in an e-mail from Stephen Michael Greinke, a former missionary of the diocese.

Father Benjamin Pantas, the diocese’s media liaison officer, said that Greinke’s allegations were false.

Pantas said that Greinke was the one accused of molesting members of his congregation in Naval back in 2000. Continue reading “Biliran bishop denies sexual abuse raps”