The 13-year-old girl, who claimed to have been raped by a lawyer-broadcaster, and went missing since July 21, finally surfaced as news reporters of radio station dyHP found her Facebook account and traced her to Barangay Umapad in Mandaue City.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he is ready to give the reward money of P100,000, which he promised, but the dyHP reporters have declined to receive the money.
The reward will instead be given to those who really helped in the search of the teenager, said Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak.
“As to who will receive the reward, we will still discuss it internally. But yes, it is affirmative that our mayor wanted to give the cash reward to those who really helped in the search,” said the city councilor.
Tumulak said they will hold a closed-door meeting to determine other appropriate beneficiaries of the money.
Lawyer Rufill Bañoc, dyHP station manager and columnist of Cebu Daily News announced the finding of the teenager midnight of July 26, during his morning program yesterday. He also announced that the radio station would decline the reward offered by the mayor.
Bañoc claimed that the minor purposely left her mother during their psychological consultation at the pink room of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) last Friday, July 21, for fear that she might be turned over to social workers.
“She was even playing with some of her friends when we met her there. I guess, also, that it was really her decision to visit this place, to escape from the pressure brought about the incidents surrounding her. She was a frequent visitor there, and her aunt lives there,” he added.
the pressure brought about the incidents surrounding her. She was a frequent visitor there, and her aunt lives there,” he added.
The teenager had claimed that she was raped by lawyer-broadcaster Juril Patiño last July 4 inside his car. The teenager was there to collect the
payment for laundry services from an employee of the station, Brigada FM.
Patiño allegedly offered to pay for it and asked her to come with him in his car.
The mother of the victim expressed relief that her daughter was found, and is now under the custody of the authorities. She stressed out that her family will pursue the rape complaint against Patiño.
With the absence of a social worker, reporters were not allowed to interview the victim when she was brought to the NBI – 7 headquarters yesterday morning.
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According to Bañoc, his news team found the FB account of the teenager.
“We zoomed in on the picture to enlarge and one of them said the place was familiar and that it was in Mandaue City,” he said.
The team proceeded to the area and showed her profile picture to people in the area to ask if they knew her.
He said three children who claimed they were her childhood friends, identified the photo of the teenager and guided them to where she was.
She did not hesitate to go with the dyHP news team back to the station where her mother rejoined her.
She was then brought to the office of the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday morning together with her mother and three friends.
They were escorted by Aida Tampus, dyHP program director and Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak.
NBI–7 regional director lawyer Patricio Bernales said he was grateful for the efforts extended by the media and the city government and expressed confidence that the Office of the City Prosecutor would find probable cause to indict Patiño.