55 YEAR OLD CATHOLIC PRIEST BEGS 13 YEAR-OLD GIRL FOR SEX

A 55 - year - old Catholic priest has been arrested in the Philippines for allegedly booking a 13 - year- old girl for sex through a pimp, police and church officials said on Tuesday .
A police report said Monsignor Lagarejos was arrested on Friday as he brought the girl to a motel in Manila ’ s suburban city of Marikina .
Police said it was allegedly the third time that the priest solicited the services of the girl , whose mother complained to police about the pimp, prompting an entrapment operation that led to the arrest .

Police have filed human trafficking charges against Lagarejos , who remains in detention .

The Diocese of Antipolo , which has jurisdiction over Lagarejos , vowed to cooperate with authorities in the investigation , “ even as his guilt remains to be proved and the precepts of the constitution grant him the presumption of innocence. ”
The Diocese said in a statement that it has taken every step to hold him answerable for the charges brought against him both before the Republic and before the Church .
The Diocese said Lagarejos has been relieved of his pastoral assignments and barred from having contact with the public except his lawyer , other priests and church authorities .

Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who has been assigned to investigate the case against Lagarejos , said it would take about a year.
“ This is considered as the gravest violation of the commandments , the abuse of minors , ” he said .

“ It would depend really on how fast I could gather evidence and get testimonies . ’’
More than 80 per cent of the Philippines ’ over 100 million population are Catholic