Fugitive Pinoy priest apologizes for US child pornography scandal

Ilonggo Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Lowe Dongor who is subject of a manhunt by United States authorities, has surrendered, according to the Philippine News Service (PNS). Officially tagged as a U.S. “Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fugitive,” Dongor voluntarily gave up to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Western Visayas Regional Office 6. This, following months of negotiations as the bureau received an official FBI request for assistance middle of this year to locate Dongor. A native of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, Dongor fled the U.S. in October 2011 after entering a “not guilty” plea on charges of possession of child pornography. He has since visited his hometown and likewise fled thereafter when the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a warning on his “not in good standing” status with the church. Local media then got wind of his presence and tried to reach him, however the beleaguered priest managed to flee anew. “The National Bureau of Investigation Western Visayas Regional Office (NBI WEVRO) confirms the voluntary surrender and repatriation to the United States of the person of Rev. Fr. Lowe B. Dongor,” the NBI WEVRO 6 in an official press statement said. “The 36-year-old native of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, Philippines stands accused in the U.S. District Court of the District of Massachusetts of Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution (UFAP). Fr. Dongor was the subject of an arrest warrant requested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for one count of UFAP, a felony act. His UFAP charge came after he fled the U.S. in October 2011 amidst charges of possession of child pornography. He was the associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish of the Diocese of Worcester in Massachusetts and asked to go on administrative leave when charged and arraigned of the said charge.” “We are officially confirming the surrender of Fr. Dongor and turn-over to U.S. authorities through our counterparts in the U.S. Embassy in Manila. In close coordination with Embassy officials, we have effected Fr. Dongor’s return to the U.S. It was one successful operation, which was made possible through the support of concerned and civic minded individuals, who worked with the NBI WEVRO team headed by Agent Arnold Diaz, the agent on case who was entrusted to lead the negotiation process. Fr. Dongor is now in custody of American authorities where he will have his due day in a U.S. court. We thank Fr. Dongor and his family for cooperating, trusting the bureau and the justice system,” NBI WEVRO regional director Elfren Meneses Jr. said. Diaz as lead agent personally escorted Dongor and left for the U.S. The duo is expected to be met by joint U.S. Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) team upon arrival. It was not immediately clear when Dongor will be made to appear in Court. PNS, in an independent investigation, learned that Dongor stands accused before Judge Robert Collings, U.S. Magistrate Judge of the John Joseph Moakley US Courthouse in the District of Massachusetts. Docketed as 12-mj-1065-RBC, the FBI filed the UFAP felony charge on Feb. 23, 2012 with the offense a “Category II.” The FBI was called in by the Office of the Worcester District Attorney following Dongor’s failure to appear in an October 2011 court hearing. Dongor has since fled the U.S. and went into hiding in the Philippines. The UFAP charge carries a $5,000 bail and/or five-year imprisonment. In a PNS interview, Dongor expressed readiness on whatever outcome awaits him in the U.S. Such, as he admitted having “no resources at all...poor as a rat,” thus not able to secure for himself a private counsel. “I have to, and ready to pay for the terrible mistakes I committed to my God, my Church, my community, my family and myself,” he said. “I wish I can change things and go back to my priesthood for that is what I have been dreaming of since I was 6 years old. But all of that is gone now. I have nothing to offer, no money even to hire a lawyer for my defense, but I still have my faith in God and that is more than enough for me now.” - Filipino Reporter