Mabolo gangrape suspect arrested

CEBU, Philippines - After a year of hiding, the fourth suspect in the gang rape of a 17-year-old deaf mute last year was captured by authorities Wednesday noon in mabolo, Cebu City.

Julius De Guzman, 36, married, and a resident of Sitio Masulog Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City is currently in the custody of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office after he was arrested by a police team in the warrant section led by SPO2 Danilo Aying.

The accused has a pending warrant of arrest at the Regional Trial Court Branch 54 of Lapu-Lapu City for the crime of rape with homicide issued by Hon. Victor Teves Sr. dated July 8, 2012.

According to SPO2 Aying, they received information on the presence of De Guzman in Mabolo, Cebu City where they cornered and arrested him.

It was in June 13 last year when the victim was found lifeless and half naked by a stonecraft worker identified as Jerry Rondina who was about to answer the call of nature.

The victim’s face was struck with a stone, according to a witness, and her body and arms had contusions and bruises. The victim was invited for a talk a few meters away from a benefit dance and while they were talking, four men arrived and mauled the witness and dragged the victim to a grassy area while the witness ran away and went home out of fear.

The victim’s friends were drunk while in the vicinity of a benefit dance and were not aware of the victim’s whereabouts. The victim’s sister reported to the police the day after when she failed to go home. During a police follow up operation they found the witness and identified the suspects.

These led then to the arrests of Elgie Misa, 18, Reynaldo Limpangong, 21, and Fiel Pinote, 19, all of them from said barangay, while Julius De Guzman went into hiding before he was arrested last Wednesday.

Meanwhile the sexual abuse that a nine-year-old girl in Dumanjug town received from her playmates last month was apparently not the first time.

Vice governor Agnes Magpale said the girl was first raped some time last year by one of the perpetrators of the recent rape, who is now 15 years old.

Magpale, who co-chairs the Provincial Council for the Welfare of Children that handles the case, said they were supposed to file a case against the 15-year-old boy in connection to last month’s rape incident, for he has acted with discernment.

However, Magpale said they found out during their case conference the other day that the 15-year-old boy was not among the five minor-aged boys who raped the girl inside a hut near the shore in Dumanjug last May.

“So many things were unraveled yesterday na wala mi ka-decide dayon unsa na’y buhaton. It turned out wala’y participation ang 15-year-old. Iyang role was gipasinina daw niya ang babaye,” Magpale said.

The rest of the four minor suspects, aged 12 to 14, Magpale said, admitted to the crime. PCWC also found out that the 15-year-old boy raped the girl last year.

Magpale said they will submit the victim to a psychological intervention as well as the boys who need just as much of this intervention by the PCWC.

“Ang PCWC dili man lang on kiha-kiha. More than that is aftercare and intervention. Among tan-aw ani, dako gyud na rehabilitation for the children,” the vice governor said.

PCWC also extended financial assistance to the victim’s family, particularly for their fare in going back and forth to the city to bring the victim to the PCWC. Magpale said the girl was proven to have been raped based on the witnesses of three minors which corroborated the victim’s statements.

Medical report tested her negative of any lacerations.

“Ingon ang doctor na part sa among technical working group, minors are capable of erection but wala pa’y semen. The tissue of the girl is also pliant,” Magpale explained.

Magpale said they will follow-up the case in order to help the girl and her mother who has been distraught on what happened to her daughter. — (FREEMAN)