A 56-year-old man was arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Group Visayas Field Unit (AKG-7) on June 29, 2022 in Lapu-Lapu City after being accused of raping the live-in-partner of his son in Dumanjug town, southwestern Cebu. | AKG-7 photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 56-year-old man accused of raping his son’s live-in-partner was arrested in Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City, last June 29, 2022.
Police Lieutenant Zosimo Ravanes Jr., team leader of the Anti-Kidnapping Group Visayas Field Unit, said that the arrest was via virtue of a warrant of arrest issued for three counts of rape.
The said warrant of arrest was issued by Judge Bernardito Malabago, Executive Judge Branch 95 of the Regional Trial Court 7th Judicial Region in Barili, Cebu, last June 28, 2022, with no bail recommended.
CDN Digital is withholding the names of those involved for their protection.
Ravanes said that the victim was the 27-year-old live-in-partner of the accused’s son, who was in jail at the time when the alleged rape was committed around December 2021 to January 2022 in Dumanjug.
Before the formal compliant was filed, the accused went to Lapu-Lapu City as he also had relatives there. He has been in Lapu-Lapu for at least three months.
Police said the accused served in a church, playing the guitar. Police were able to locate and communicate with the accused and asked to meet outside the church he was serving.
This was when he was arrested.
The accused belied the accusations filed against him, saying his son did this to him because he had grudges against him.
According to the accused, his son is getting back at him because he was not able to help his son when the latter was jailed.
His son was arrested for causing trouble and was released from jail in June 2022. But he is still under probationary.
The warrant was already turned over and the accused is currently detained at the Dumanjug Police Station pending the issuance of commitment order from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
Rise in rape cases
Meanwhile, Ravanes said that they observed an increase in the number of issued warrants of arrest for rape cases since last year.
These rape cases were reportedly committed during the pandemic wherein restrictions in movement were strictly implemented. They also noticed that most of those involved in these cases were relatives.
“Tungod siguro sa pandemic ba, ang uban sad tingali ang ubang miyembro sa pamilya naka lock down sa layo, naka chance ba…tungod sa pandemic, nisaka gyud ang case nato sa rape,” he added.
(It may be because of the pandemic, some members of families were under lockdown in far towns, they were able to get the chance to do these acts. During the pandemic, rape cases really increased.)
/bmjo
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