Cliff Baxter writes concerning the Irish priest Father Shay Cullen who in this week's Irish Echo responds to allegations recently aired on the ABC's Foreign Correspondent program, The Priest and the Sexual Mafia.

Here's the program synopsis from the ABC's Foreign Correspondent website:

Father Shay Cullen is an internationally recognised, charismatic Irish missionary who has lived in The Philippines for over thirty years. He runs a centre for children rescued from sexual abuse, and is a fearless campaigner for kids’ rights. He often goes undercover as a sex tourist, using a hidden camera to try to catch the pimps selling kids.

But many locals, including other churchmen, as well as foreigners who have been accused of abusing children, say Father Cullen goes too far. They accuse him of telling the children what to say in court – charges strenuously denied by Father Cullen.

In the poverty-stricken Philippines, it’s often impossible to get to the truth, as the accused often pay off the witnesses and bribe court officials.

[ABC Reporter Eric Campbell] meets the children Father Cullen has rescued from abuse, including a half-Australian girl who was found in a sex bar aged just 13, and Victor Fitzgerald, an Australian yachtsman who was convicted on evidence gathered by Father Cullen.

It’s an intriguing tale, with some bizzare twists and turns, and a cast of larger than life characters – including Victor Fitzgerald himself, who is still awaiting the outcome of his appeal – six years after it was heard.

LINK: www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2007/s1937968.htm

	Markham Nolan's story in the Irish Echo

Cliff's take…

I remember the case well.

It was a classic case of a wealthy man pretending to be a philanthropist, taking poor children on his yacht for pleasure trips, impressing the parents with his cash and generosity.

Watching the Foreign Correspondent program I was convinced that more cash has changed hands.

The evidence against this abuser of children was clear.

The only thing that shocks me is that he is no longer behind bars.

That's where he belongs.

The suggestion that Father Cullen "coaches" witnesses is ludicrous.

The children at the Preda Foundation at Olonpago in the Philippines know this Irishman very well and they trust him with their stories.

"Coaching" a child witness just will not work.

Ask any person experienced in this field.

There are two things we should think about as Australians. First, when we boast about our "Australian values" we should not forget that expatriate Aussies run the girlie bars in the Philippines, and providing a child for sex is not beyond them. Not by any means. Second, a lot of illicit money is laundered there — money from crooks who have ruined young lives in this country.

I am not surprised that one priest has come out against Father Cullen. The charitable view is that he is gullible and has been conned by the convicted man. Others might come to a more sinister conclusion. A third option is that the defender of the pedophile is one of those who shrink from the notion that anybody who is prepared to sail across the sea to take poor children alone for a cruise is merely a benefactor. Absolute rubbish!

	Olongapo...
	TThe City of Olongapo (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Olongapo; Sambal: Syodad nin Olongapo) is an urbanized city formerly in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 194,260 people in 43,107 households. Olongapo was originally governed as a part of the United States naval reservation. It was relinquished to the Philippine government and converted into a municipality on December 7, 1959. Six years later Olongapo was reconverted to a chartered city on June 1 Your continued donations keep Wikipedia running! , 1966.[1] Olongapo City administers itself autonomously from Zambales province. Adjacent to the city is the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales, which until 1992 was a United States naval base. According to popular legend, there once were a group of warring tribes who lived in the area in and around what is now the modern city. A wise, old man, seeing the perils of disunity, exerted great efford toward uniting the warring tribes. There were, however, some who bitterly opposed his idea and, one day, the old man just diappeared. After a long search, the old man's body was found, but with the head missing. It is said that the tribesmen launched search parties to locate the severed head of the man. (It should also be said that, to the Sambal, decapitation was the only permissible form of assassination.[2]) These efforts, sadly, would prove to be futile, and the search was eventually called off. A boy, however, vowed to himself that he would not stop searching until he found the elder's head. He searched for weeks, but found nothing. Then, one day, he chanced upon what appeared to be the old man's head, resting on top of a bamboo pole. The boy, upon seeing the head, ran back to his people crying, "Olo nin apo! Olo nin apo!" ("head of the elder" in Sambal; translates as "ulo ng apo" in Tagalog), running hysterically from village to village. The phrase stuck, and that, according to legend, is how the area got its name, Olongapo. To this day, the old man's head acts as a symbol of the unity of the people of what is now a modern city.

It is not unusual for wicked men to hide beneath philanthropy and "love of children."

I remember one group of high society people who flew into the Philippines in a helicopter and staged children's ballet. All very arty-farty, but they had evil intent. Their leader was a priest (I codenamed him "K.Mart "in discussions with Australian police investigations).

It later emerged that such philanthropy masked a system where pedophiles kept dossiers on children they found peculiarly attractive for their lust.

The priest in question brought beautiful people back to Australia to wait upon him.

The Church, I am ashamed to say let him get away with his sordid lifestyle.

He eventually went to jail for fraud, and is now dead. Children are safe from his clutches.

He's lucky nobody put a bullet in him in the Philippines.

At that time the New People's Army sent out young children as "bait". When someone took them back to a hotel the door would crash open. Bang, you're dead, Mr Aussie Pedophile.

Fr Cullen pictured with Arcbbishop Desmond Tutu

It was wrong for ABC-TV to offer such a one-dimensional image of Father Cullen.

In the Preda Centre he uses primal scream therapy to conquer the demons that haunt these young people.

Even better he facilitates their education so that they'll have a future away from corruption which stains the culture of the Philippines.

I have never met a man with more courage.

The American Fleet brought untold wealth to Olnogapo. and the poor villages. But they also brought HIV/Aids, venereal disease and dirty money for pedophilia and girlie bars.

People like the local mayor thought it was bloody wonderful to have all this money and that Father Cullen was spoiling all of the fun.

Father Cullen staged a series of protests, once even sitting on top of a pole like some desert saint to drive out the Yanks.

Preda Foundation website

He succeeded. They sailed away. Father Cullen hopes that a national park can be established in the area they vacated.

I commend the Irish Echo for publishing Father Cullen's response.

If you have any spare cash I'd suggest a donation to the Preda Foundation (www.preda.org). That at least would be one step towards removing some of the shameful Aussie record in the Philippines. If you doubt that speak to the famous Aussie priest, Father Brian Gore, now back there. His stories would make you faint.

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for the cross promotion of our publications to our respective readerships

Cliff Baxter is a highly awarded journalist with a lifetime experience gained on the principal Australian secular newspapers, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and The Catholic Weekly.

We welcome your thoughts in response to this article in our forum.

Cliff Baxter can be contacted at: Cliff Baxter <cliffbaxter@catholica.com.au>

©2007 Clifford Baxter

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