CEBU CITY, Cebu — After undergoing both civil and Church processes, three priest of the Archdiocese of Cebu have been reintegrated into ministry work.

This came after a US-based watchdog BishopAccountability.org listed 89 Catholic clergymen who have been accused of sexual abuse of minors in cases relating to the Philippines.

According to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, the three priests are identified as incardinated in the archdiocese and have already been re-integrated in active ministry but only because they have gone through the required legal and canonical processes in the past and have been determined by competent civil and ecclesiastical authorities as fit to return to active ministry but with continued guidance and supervision,

Another priest included in the list is currently in Cebu to facilitate an ongoing renewal program and was facilitating the program as required by his diocese, which the Cebu archdiocese did not disclose.

“He has been fully cooperative with both civil and ecclesiastical authorities that are overseeing his situation,” Bishop Palma said.

“This also applies to some other names of priests who once served the archdiocese and were assigned by their religious superiors from their respected congregations but are no longer connected with the Archdiocese of Cebu or are made part of the diocesan clergy,” the relate added.

The Cebu archdiocese noted that one priest was reported to have been dismissed from the clerical state or laicized while another priest passed away years ago.

Prior to this, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in the Philippines (CBCP), had said that the Office for the Safeguarding of Minors has been put up to take the issue of accountability on child sex abuse “very seriously.”

Bishop Accountability co-director Anne Barrett Doyle said although it is important to set up safeguarding offices, she still urged victims to go to law enforcement to seek justice.