Two minors, 12 and 14, ‘raped’

CEBU, Philippines - Two men were arrested while one is currently being hunted by the police for rape.

Suspects Jonathan Requinto, 23, and his cousin Ryan Subelario, 18, are now in jail for allegedly abusing a 12-year-old girl in Carcar City, Cebu.

The police said the victim was on her way to buy a butane canister last March 13 when Requinto grabbed her towards a dimly-lit banana farm where he forced himself upon her.

After the act, Requinto alleged warned the victim that he would kill her family if she would tell anyone about what happened to her.

The victim kept mum about the incident but last March 26, Requinto, accompanied by Subelario, again dragged her towards the same location and both men sexually abused her.

This time, the victim told her mother and sibling about the abuse, and they reported the crime to authorities.

Carcar City police immediately conducted a hot pursuit operation and arrested the suspects. They also recovered a blood-stained cloth as evidence.

Requinto and Subelario denied the allegation, claiming they were mistakenly identified despite the positive identification by the victim.

Carcar City Police Station chief Jose M. Liddawa said they had the suspects undergo a drug test to determine if they were under the influence of illegal drugs when they did the crime.

About a month, one Jonathan Marfe, who was allegedly high on drugs, was arrested for allegedly raping a four-month-old baby also in Carcar.

In northern Cebu, Carmen police are currently looking for Ricky Mancao, 24, of Barangay Hagnaya after a 14-year-old girl accused him of raping her last Monday afternoon.

The police said the victim was walking on a hilly and forested area when Manco, who was armed with a bolo, grabbed her and brought her to a desolated area where he sexually abused her.

The suspect allegedly also took her belongings, including her underwear and shorts and cellphone, before fleeing.

Manco, a charcoal gatherer, was no longer in the house he shared with his live-in partner when responding policemen came to arrest him.

In another development, Cebu Provincial Police Office Provincial Director Eric Noble urged the local government of Carcar to be more vigilant against illegal drugs as the problem is serious there.

“Matindi sa Carcar. So, I hope na yung mga taga Carcar ay sumuporta sa laban natin lalong-lalo na local government leaders dyan sa Carcar. Makonsensya naman kayo,” he said.

CPPO data showed that all barangays in Carcar City are affected by the illegal drug menace. Specifically, of the 15 barangays, 14 are “moderately affected” while one is “slightly affected.”

This did not sit well with Mayor Nicepuro Apura, who said his decision not to endorse any barangay as “drug free” could be the reason behind CPPO’s conclusion.

He said the city police actually had submitted to him a document stating that four barangays are free of illegal drugs, but he did not sign it because he wanted the information verified first and that he wanted to know the criteria or basis for such a declaration.

“Kay wala man ko ni-declare mao na lang na ang basihan.  Dili man sad tingali (tanan drug affected).  Ang akoa lang, wala pa ko nipirma kay nangita ko og klaro nga guidelines kung unsa ang pag-declare sa usa ka barangay nga cleared na,” the mayor said.

He did not reveal the four barangays, saying he was still verifying the documents submitted by the police.

He assured that the city is doing well in the campaign against illegal drugs and that it even intensified the drive along with the police.

"Pirmi nato gidukdok ang polis diri.  Hapit kada adlaw naa silay apprehension," Apura said. — Mae Clydyl L. Avila, Ermida Q. Moradas, Iris Mariani B. Algabre (FREEMAN)