Fr. Terry Sarmiento served in the Archdiocese of Vancouver in 1977 and returned to the Archdiocese of Manila in 1980. (Facebook photo: St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Singalong, Manila)
Updated: December 17, 2019, 2:45 PM
Today, Dec. 17, Pope Francis abolished the pontifical secret for cases of sexual abuse against minors continuing his path to transparency.
Pope abolishes ‘pontifical secret’ in abuse cases, raises age for child porn
Msgr. Terry Sarmiento named in sexual abuse report
Analysis
By Ted Alcuitas
A Filipino priest who served in the Vancouver Archdiocese in the 70s was named as one of several priests involved in sexual abuse in a report released by the archdiocese on Nov. 24, 2019.
Msgr. Antero ‘Terry’ Sarmiento , who died in the Philippines at the age 87 on February 7, 2019, was named in the report as one of those whose case was settled. According to the report commissioned by Vancouver Archbishop Michael Miller, “complaints of inappropriate behaviour about Sarmiento were made to the archdiocese in 1980, at which time he abruptly returned to Manila, which had allowed him to work on loan to Vancouver since 1977. Police received an arrest warrant on three charges of indecent assault in 2004, but he refused to return for questioning.”
Screen shot of archdiocesan report.
He is the second Filipino priest named in a sexual abuse case in British Columbia. Fr. Erlindo ‘Lindo’ Molon is on trial for an alleged sexual assault while serving in the Kamloops archdiocese in the 70s. The trial is ongoing in Vancouver.
Sex Abuse: Woman accuses former Filipino priest of sexual assault
James Carney was the archbishop of Vancouver at the time Fr. Sarmiento was serving in the archdiocese.
Sarmiento used to write a popular column in Silangan, (the Winnipeg-based Filipino paper published by Ted Alcuitas) while he was serving in Vancouver in 1977. He abruptly stopped writing and word was that he returned to Manila to his old parish. Nothing was said about his case until this release from the archdiocese.
A composite by artist Danny Laureano of Silangan’s fourth anniversary issue in February 1980 showing Fr. Sarmiento on the left. ( Silangan archives)
The Facebook page of the Parish of Singalong listed the following assignments as a Diocesan Priest of the Archdiocese of Manila: Vice-Chancellor, Secretary to the Archbishop’s Council, National Spiritual Director of Young Christian Workers, Archdiocesan Director of Young Christian Workers and Rura Development, Archdiocesan Chaplain of the Holy Name Society, Editor, COR Manila, Professor of Homiletics, Ateneo, San Jose Seminary and San Carlos Seminary, Parish Priest of Baras, Rizal, San Jose Parish, Manuguit, Tondo, Manila and Immaculate Conception Parish, Concepcion, Malabon, MM, Assistant Parish Priest of Santo Nino Parish, Tondo, Manila, San Rafael Parish, Balut, Tondo, Manila and San Jose de Navotas, Rizal and Coadjutor, Parish of Hagonoy, Bulacan.
https://rcav.org/abuse-report/