NBI truly does its job on Atty. Juril Patino’s rape case

I would like to commend the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-7) for religiously doing its job from start to finish within the sphere of its authority on the rape case against accused, Atty. Juril Patino.

The NBI has been the one that seriously investigated the case, filed it before the prosecutor’s office and when the warrant of arrest was issued by the court, NBI executed the same. Finally last Monday, July 22, 2019, the accused was arrested after 1 year from the time the warrant of arrest was issued on July 23, 2018.

To recall, the alleged rape happened in July of 2016. The parents of the 13-year old rape victim, a laundrywoman and a “trisikad” driver, went to Parian Police Station to ask for police assistance. 

As per narration of the victim’s mother, it seems that they were not given attention by the police. They went back and forth to the said station for three days, but to no avail. They felt that the police were reluctant to file a case against Patino, which prompted them to ask the assistance of the NBI. 

It was the NBI that immediately took action of the incident. NBI agents lead by lawyers Donaver Inesin and Wenseslao Galindez gathered the CCTV footage in the areas mentioned by the minor-victim. They also secured the affidavit of the security guard in the workplace of the accused. Thereafter, the rape case was filed before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office. 

The assigned prosecutor in the case, Alex Gabud, found probable cause after evaluating the affidavits of both the victim and the accused.  

He emphasized that the testimonies of the victim coupled with medical examination result prevail over the denial of accused Patino. 

Gabud quoted a Supreme Court decision that states, “Testimonies of rape victims who are young and immature deserve full credence, considering that no young woman, especially of tender age, would concoct a story of defloration, and thereafter pervert herself by being subject to a public trial if she was not motivated solely by the desire to obtain justice of the wrong committed against her.”

The Prosecutor’s Office elevated the case to the Regional Trial Court. It was RTC Judge Marlon Jay Moneva who issued the warrant of arrest. 

The NBI executed the order of the court. I don’t know what happened to the PNP. Anyway all personnel of Parian police station were already replaced by then Cebu City Police Office Chief, Col. Royina Garma.

Now that Patino is already arrested and turned over to the Cebu City Jail, the wheel of justice will finally start running. At least, he will be given his time in Court. We will just wait for the court decision on the matter.  

Meanwhile, with Patino’s crisis in life, a friend told me that his recent Facebook posts are already very decent. He tries to appear like a preacher, unlike before when he handled a radio program where he used inappropriate, indecent, immoral, obscene, erotic and foul languages on air.