A 30-year-old mother filed a rape complaint against a police officer who allegedly molested her inside a motel in Cebu City last August 9.
Athena (not her real name) requested the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) to investigate the policeman whom she met a year ago.
“Gipasalig niya nga harmless siya, pero unsa man ni ang iyang gibuhat nako? Hustisya ang akong gipangayo. (He said he’s harmless, but what has he done to me? I want justice to be served),” she told reporters.
Cebu Daily News is withholding the name of the police officer who has yet to answer the accusations leveled at him.
Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, deputy director for operations of PRO-7, said the policeman was immediately relieved of his post and transferred to the Police Holding and Accounting Unit (PHAU) pending the conduct of the investigation.
Athena filed a case against the policeman at the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office a day after the incident but it was dismissed for lack of probable cause.
Lawas said they will review the resolution of Prosecutor Ma. Lourdes Quilitorio to find out which evidence are missing and how to strengthen the case.
“I want to know why it was dismissed. We want to give the victim justice as much as we can. We want her to know that this incident is an isolated one. Not all policeman are bad,” he said.
Lawas also directed the Regional Investigation Detection and Management Branch to conduct an administrative probe against the policeman.
Athena said she drove her car with a policeman—a jogging mate—who volunteered to help her ship the vehicle from Cebu City to Bohol.
But on their way to the port, the policeman insisted that they would drop by a motel to talk about certain issues.
Athena was hesitant but the police officer allegedly showed his gun and instructed her to get inside one of the rooms. She said she was forced to have sexual intercourse with the policeman.
“Nisalig ko niya kay under siya ni (President Rodrigo) Duterte. Wala ko nagtuo nga iya ko ingon ani-on. (I trusted him because policemen are under President Rodrigo Duterte. I didn’t expect him to rape me),” Athena said.
Athena is married and has a four-year-old daughter. She said the policeman, who is also married, befriended her while they jogged at the Cebu City Sports Center since last year. She said she refused to have a relationship with the policeman because she doesn’t want to have an illicit affair with anybody.
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