The two Korean nationals, whose conflict with each other had led to the trip of National Bureau of Investigation agents to Pamplona town in Negros Oriental, where they were allegedly beaten up by policemen and civilians Saturday, are both facing numerous complaints before the Bacolod City Prosecutor's Office.

Pastor Kim Seong Kook of Villa Angela Subdivision, Bacolod City, who sought the help of the NBI against Korean businessmen Ha Hae Bong of Pamplona town, Negros Oriental, is facing rape and acts of lasciviousness cases filed against him by members of his congregation, Alex Mirano, the lawyer of the complainants, confirmed yesterday.

The NBI agents had been told by the pastor that Ha was in possession of illegal firearms and, after conducting surveillance operations, they had gone to Pamplona on Saturday afternoon to enforce a search warrant on the businessman when they were stopped by the Negros Oriental police who allegedly hogtied and beat them up.

CARNAPPING, THEFT

Kim was alleged to be with one of the agents in the NBI vehicle that was able to escape when the rest of the NBI team members were hogtied.

Kim had earlier filed facing charges against Ha for carnapping, theft, estafa and robbery, Bacolod Acting City Prosecutor Arlene Catherine Dato confirmed yesterday.

Kim filed the complaints against Ha for allegedly taking his Revo vehicle, documents, $3,000, and items from his church.

Lea Bonbon, manager of the Pamplona resort where the NBI had attempted to serve the search warrant, said Kim had sought the help of the Korean businessman when his parishioners filed complaints against him in November.

She said the pastor borrowed money from Ha and left his Revo with him as guarantee. He also gave Ha permission to get the items from his church, but charged him later before the Bacolod City Prosecutors Office, she said.

PASTOR NAMED
IN SEX COMPLAINTS

Meanwhile, documents obtained by the DAILY STAR yesterday show that two 16-year-old girls have complained that they were sexually molested by Rev. Kim, 49, a Korean missionary and head of a Bacolod church, the location of which is being withheld to protect the identities of the complainants.

The two teenagers filed their complaints last year before the Bacolod Prosecutor's Office but issued affidavits of desistance when they were assured that the pastor had left for Korea, Dato said.

However, Dato said she was informed that when the pastor resurfaced the two teenagers decided to re-file their complaints before her office in January.

The teenagers, who were among the young people at the church of Kim Seong Kook, said in their affidavits that he was known to them as "Moksanim."

One 16-year-old alleged in her affidavit that she was sexually molested by Rev. Kim inside his vehicle on Nov 6, 2005, and on Nov. 14 when she lost consciousness and was brought to Jade Court II in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City.

She said that on Nov. 6, she was walking home from Sunday service when the pastor passed by in his Revo vehicle and said he would give her a ride home.

When the vehicle neared her house, she said the pastor invited her to go with him to eat but when they reached Banga Pepsi, Barangay Bata, he parked the Revo and moved to the back seat where she was seated.

"He lectured me about the need to study well, and I was surprised when he kissed me on the lips and touched my breast," she said.

"I pushed his hand away and he said 'Sorry you're so very small, you're my baby and I will adopt you someday'," she said.

"He then touched my legs and said 'you're too small' and transferred to the front seat of the vehicle, and dropped me off near my house," she added.

She said she did not know what to do and did not tell her parents what happened.

On Nov. 14, 2005 she said she was surprised to see the pastor at the gate of her school and he invited her to lunch.

When she got in his vehicle he handed her some mineral water, which she drank because she was thirsty, but she soon felt faint and when she woke up, she was on a bed, naked.

When she tried to get up, she said, she felt pain and saw blood on the bed and on a towel and she wanted to cry and shout but she was afraid of "Moksanim".

She said he then dropped her at the Plaza Mart area in Bacolod City.

She said she only gained the courage to tell the assistant pastor of their church what happened when another member revealed that Kim had abused her, too.

OTHER 'VICTIMS'

The other 16-year-old filed a complaint for acts of lasciviousness against Kim saying he sexually molested her on Nov.1, 2005.

In her affidavit, the 16-year-old said the pastor took her in his Revo vehicle to the Panaad Sports Stadium in Bacolod and when they got there they walked around the oval and talked. They then returned to the vehicle where they sat at the back seat to eat the food they brought along, she said.

"The pastor told me to sit on his lap and when I did not want to, he said I should, like a daughter. He then started kissing me and told me when I am 18 years old and I want a baby, just to tell him. Then he kissed my lips and squeezed my breast and I tried to remove his hands but I was afraid of him," she said.

She said the Korean told her not to tell her parents but she told the assistant pastor of their church about what happened when he wondered why she seldom went to the church and stayed away from the other young people.

The assistant pastor also received complaints from other young people of the church that they too had been abused by Rev. Kim so he brought them to the police station to file their complaints, the 16-year-old said.

An 18-year-old and a 21-year-old pre-school teacher also filed complaints against the pastor for sexual abuse before the Bacolod police Women and Children's Concern Desk in November but they did not pursue their cases before the City Prosecutor's Office.*CPG

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