CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 61-year-old priest from Barangay Canduman, Mandaue City is now detained after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting the 15-year-old daughter of their cook.
Rev. Fr. Decoroso Olmilla, the parish priest of the Nativity Parish in the said village, reportedly hit the girl’s butt with a box and kicked her on the body after she failed to feed his pet dog on Wednesday afternoon.
“Nilaag kuno ni ang bata sa mga silingan gahapon sa hapon kay namasko. Gipangita ni siya sa pari unya wala, so pag-uli gidala siya sa opisina sa pari unya didto gibalikas, gibunalan og karton ang sampot unya gipatiran,” said PO1 Jinalyn Formentera of the Women’s Desk of the Canduman Police Station.
The child and her mother, Marcela Rico, lives at the convent.
Formentera said that the girl later sought the help of their neighbors who called the police station to report the said abuse.
Canduman police arrested Olmilla at around 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
Formentera said that the priest voluntarily went with his arresting officers and admitted to having hit the child, who also visited the police station on Wednesday night lodge a formal complaint against her attacker.
Olmilla refused to issue a statement when sought for comment by reporters on Thursday morning.
He said that he will issue his reply as soon as a complaint is filed against him.
Olmilla remains detained at the Canduman Police Station while police await for a copy of the girl’s medical examination which they will use as evidence in the filing of a complaint for the violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act against him.
Formentera said that the child is currently undergoing a medical examination at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.
The child’s mother, Formentera said, is firm on her decision to file a complaint against Olmilla.