E-bike driver jailed for ‘raping’ 9-year-old girl, ‘molesting’ three other minors

An e-bike driver was jailed for allegedly molesting three children and raping another in Barangay Poblacion Pardo, Cebu City. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — E-bike driver Alcondo Tabura, 49, would fetch Ana (not her real name) and some other children in their neighborhood from school and bring them home to their respective families in Barangay Poblacion Pardo, Cebu City.

Because of their friendship, which started more than a year ago, the children had started calling Tabura “lolo.”

But the e-bike driver took advantage of the children’s trust.

Ana, 9, alleged that Tabura, a resident of the neighboring Barangay Bulacao, raped her in September.  The e-bike drivers also made her perform oral sex.

The suspect again brought her to a grassy lot in Barangay Poblacion Pardo late afternoon on Tuesday, October 8, and started kissing her. But Ana’s oder sister managed to stop the e-bike driver’s evil plans.

Jane (not her real name), Ana’s older sister, followed Tabura’s e-bike after she saw him leave school with Ana as his lone passenger.  She taught then that her sister was being kidnapped then.

It was only after Tabura’s arrest on Wednesday morning, October 9, that his three other victims, aged between seven to nine-years-old also came out into the open to accuse the e-bike driver of abuse.  His other victims were a nine-year-old boy, an eight-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy.

One of his alleged victims look at Tabura from the second floor window of the Pardo Police Station. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio Delta Dyrecka Letigio

Tabura denied the accusations against him.  He said that the children were close to him because they would ride on his e-bike.

Being a father or two, he said that he would not do anything that would hurt his family especially his children.

He suspect that the children’s parents may have poisoned their minds which prompted them to fabricate lies against him.

Police Corporal Krizia Carol Regundo of the Women and Children’s Police Desk (WCPD) of the Pardo Police Station said that the 9-year-old boy claimed that Tabura molested him in August by touching his private parts. The two younger victims alleged that Tabura also touched their private parts in separate occasions.

The children told police that they ride with Tabura because he would sometimes offer them free ride and money.

Regundo said that they are now preparing a complaint rape at large and acts of lasciviousness against Tabura.

The filing of a complaint for rape at large will ensure Tabura’s continued detention even if the police are yet to comply with the documentary requirement for the filing of a rape charge against him.

Regundo said that the process of filing a rape complaint will require the submission of the victim’s affidavit, psychological and medical assessment, and the result of said assessment which takes time to complete.

“Naninguha ta nga mafile-an natog kaso dayon ang suspect no. Mo file tag rape at large aron dili siya makagawas. Hopefully mapasaka ra dayon sa korte. Kay kon regular filing lang sa rape, daghang evidences kailangan,” said Regundo.

(We are doing our best to make sure that charges are filed against the suspect the soonest possible time. We will be filing a complaint for rape at large to make sure that he will remain in jail. Hopefully, the complaint will be elevated in court. If we file a regular rape case this requires the presentation of several evidences.)

Regundo said that the mere filing of a complaint for acts of lasciviousness against the suspect will allow him to post bail. The filing of a complaint for rape at large is expected to make him stay in jail.

Tabura asked the police to make sure that the children were made to undergo medical examination before any charge should be filed against him.

“Ipamedical na ninyo. Tan-awa wala gyod na nako nahilabtan. Wala ko na hilabtan,” he told the police.

(Let the children undergo medical examination. You will eventually realize that I never touched them. Medical results will show that I never touched them.)

Angry parents confronted Tabura, who is now detained at the Pardo Police Station, on Wednesday afternoon.  Their meeting resulted in a shouting match.

The mothers of Tabura’s three other victims told CDN Digital that they would not have known of the abuses on their children if not for Ana’s alleged kidnap. / dcb