Five young men arrested for gang-rape of 16-year-old girl in Lapu-Lapu City

Police present to Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Chan the arrested five suspects in the rape of a 16-year-old girl on Sept. 13, 2019. |CDND Photo by Norman Mendoza

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Five young men were presented at Mayor Junard Chan’s office on Friday, September 13, after they were arrested by police on Thursday afternoon for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl in Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City.

Chan said that the victim and her mother sought his help for the arrest of the suspects, prompting the mayor to inquire about the complaint lodged by the girl’s family against the suspects before the Marigondon police. It was then that the station chief, Police Major Juan Capacio, told Chan that they already arrested all five suspects.

The suspects were brought to the mayor’s office on Chan’s request.

According to Capacio, the alleged rape occurred in the evening of September 5, which the victim reported to the Marigondon police station at around 3 a.m. of September 6.

Police then conducted an investigation and used the victim’s Facebook account to communicate with one of the suspects with the consent of the victim.

The suspect allegedly asked for apology for the molestation, until he again asked the victim to meet with him on September 12.

The victim agreed but came with the police. When the police spotted the suspect at the arranged meeting place in Barangay Marigondon, they then made the arrest and made the suspect lead the police to other suspects.

The suspects were identified as Mc Clark Alvaro Aying, 22; Judy de la Torre Ochea, 20; Johnric Teves Ferrater, 19; Steven Pino, 18; and 15 year old suspect.

The victim positively identified all of them as the ones who raped her, Capacio said.

The victim reportedly only wanted to meet her Facebook friend on Thursday last week but made it clear they were not lovers. She was then brought by Aying to an abandoned house where the four other suspects were already waiting. The five then proceeded to molest her.

Capacio said that based on information extracted from Aying, the latter allegedly admitted he molested the girl and that it was the first time he did it.

However, Capacio said they also learned that Aying and his group allegedly also had another rape victim. Police filed the rape charges against the five suspects on Friday afternoon.

Chan, on the other hand, promised to assist the victim in ensuring she will get justice. /elb