SC sacks court employee for raping girl in hall of justice

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has cracked its whip on a court employee for raping a 14-year-old girl inside a Hall of Justice (HOJ).

In a nine-page decision released yesterday, the High Court dismissed from government service Edgardo Salazar, a construction and maintenance general foreman, after finding him guilty of gross misconduct.

The SC also ordered the forfeiture of his retirement benefits and his perpetual disqualification from any public office.

The SC upheld the findings and recommendations of the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), which cited the testimony of the victim that Salazar raped her in the premises of the HOJ.

It stressed that Salazar never denied that he had sent the minor a text message asking her to be his mistress, which SC considered an act of “moral depravity.”

In her affidavit, the girl accused Salazar of raping her in the maintenance room of the HOJ on Sept. 1, 2007. She alleged that her cousin lent her his cell phone because a friend of his wanted to be “textmates” with her.

Later that night, she received a message registered in her cousin’s phonebook as “engineer,” saying he liked her and wanted her to be his second wife. She texted back saying he should not say that as he did not know her.

The following day, she returned her cousin’s phone. On Sept. 1, 2007, she was accompanied to the HOJ by her two cousins to meet a person who would allegedly give them a cell phone.

Upon arrival, Salazar gave money to her cousins to go out and buy snacks. When her cousins left, Salazar brought the victim to his office, where he raped her.