Infant's ‘molester’ faces charges

CEBU, Philippines - Criminal cases for statutory rape and kidnapping were filed yesterday against Jonathan Marfe, who was accused of molesting a four-month-old baby last week in Barangay Perrelos, Carcar City.

Meanwhile, a 55-year-old man is also facing a rape charge after he allegedly sexually abused his 23-year-old neighbor Tuesday afternoon in Barangay Tomonoy, Moalboal town.

Police Officer 3 Vivian Tamayo, of the Women and Children Protection Desk, said the cases were filed at the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office and are now pending with Regional Trial Court branches 6 and 20.

Tamayo also disclosed that Marfe confessed of raping a girl in his hometown in Bohol.

Marfe was identified as the primary suspect based on circumstantial testimonies from his drinking buddies who were awake during the incident.

Tamayo said that it would take about a month for the results on the laboratory tests on the pieces of evidence the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) had gathered from the crime scene.

Among the evidence include Marfe's saliva coming from the cigarette butt found in the area, blood stains from the carton used as mat, as well as the presence of semen in his clothes.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III and his wife, Jobel, and Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Marivic Garces yesterday visited the four-month-old victim.

The infant and her mother are currently staying at Department of Social Welfare and Development's women shelter called Haven in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City.

The members of the media were not allowed to enter the facility during the visit, but Davide shared that the infant is recovering and in good condition.

“She looks okay. Maayo man ang iyang disposition. Gikugos-kugos gani to ni Mrs. Davide,” he said.

Davide said the provincial government will provide for the needs of the baby while in the center.

Aside from that, he said they will give P10,000 cash assistance to the family and help repair the family’s house, which is a small unfinished abode with only curtains serving as a door cover.

“Mohatag ta og gamay’ng hinabang ug atong tabangan nga ang ilang balay maayo ug mahuman. Garces will look after her,” he said.

Garces said the province has sent an engineer and social worker to the victim’s place to determine the housing materials needed and to check the situation of  the family, respectively.

The infant is the youngest of nine children.

Marfe, a 40-year-old native of Bohol, was arrested by policemen in Carcar City last Friday.

The suspect resides near the victim’s house in Barangay Perrelos.

Despite the rape incident, Davide stressed that it should not merit the restoration of the death penalty in the Philippines.

“It’s not appropriate to revive the death penalty. It has always been my position. I’m against the re-imposition of death penalty,” he said. — Iris Mariani B. Algabre, Kristine B. Quintas, Mylen P. Manto (BANAT NEWS)