ILOILO CITY -- An Iloilo priest has denied the allegations of a 25-year old woman who accused of him of raping her twice last month.

In a two-page counter-affidavit filed before the Iloilo provincial prosecutor's office on March 14, Fr. Martin Alarcon said the woman resorted to the filing of the rape complaint after he refused to give her money. "I deny vehemently and strongly the charge…" Alarcon said in his affidavit.

Alarcon, 31, assistant parish priest of Carles town north of here, is facing a complaint for two counts of rape filed by the alleged victim on Feb. 21.

She alleged that Alarcon raped her on Feb. 1 and again five days later in his family's house in Leganes town after she tried to end their month-long relationship.

Alarcon is also facing an investigation by an eight-member tribunal composed of priests and lay people convened by Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo. The priest has been temporarily relieved of his duties as assistant parish priest.

In his affidavit, Alarcon pointed out that the woman had admitted that they were lovers. But Alarcon did not confirm or deny this in his affidavit.

He said that the woman had repeatedly asked him for P40,000 that he said she would spend for her trip to Korea to be with a former student. The alleged victim teaches English to Korean students in Iloilo City.

Alarcon alleged that he had told the woman that he could not give the amount and told her not to bother him anymore.

He said the woman indeed came to his family's house in Leganes town on Feb. 1 but he said they talked at the sala at the presence of his family's driver and house caretaker.

The priest claimed the woman again reiterated her request to borrow P40,000 which he again denied. He said he told her not to come to their house again which angered her.

Alarcon said the woman came again to their house at dawn on Feb. 6 but left when their house caretaker told her that Alarcon's mother and sister were inside the house.

The priest pointed out in his affidavit that if the woman was raped on Feb.1, she would not have returned on Feb. 6.

The victim's lawyer Edeljulio Romero said his client cried and felt more insulted with Alarcon's statement.

"She said she is certainly not worth P40,000. She knows that it would be foolish to accuse a priest if it were not true," Romero told the DAILY STAR.*NPB

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