CEBU CITY, Philippines – At least five teenage boys from Naga City, southern Cebu will be facing charges for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl last May 25.
The Naga City Police Station is set to file rape cases against the minor suspects believed to have been involved in a ‘gang rape.’
In an interview with Cebu-based radio station dyHP, Police Lt. Col. William Homoc, chief of Naga City Police, said they already identified a total of seven boys, all of whom happened to be underage.
Homoc said they will be filing the cases this Friday, June 2.
“Naghuwat nalang mi sa (testimony sa biktima),” Homoc told lawyer Ruphil Bañoc in his Straight to the Point program.
Authorities did not divulge the identities of the victim and the accused since all of them are minors. The victim is now currently under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Naga City.
The incident reportedly took place in Barangay Jaguimit in Naga City last May 15. The victim, a 16-year-old Grade 10 student, went to join a classmate’s debut party.
The suspects were also present in the event, said Homoc.
The victim told authorities that a drinking session also took place and that she and her friends joined in. One of the witnesses claimed a boy may have drugged her, after seeing him place something in her drink. Police have yet to further verify these claims.
Another witness also said they saw the victim being carried to a motorcycle by two boys. The vehicle then sped away to a secluded area in Barangay Jaguimit where the crime allegedly happened.
Homoc said five of the seven boys reportedly took turns in raping the victim. The other two were the ones who transported her there.
The next morning, May 26, a friend of the victim saw her on top of a water tank in Barangay Jaguimit, adding that she looked weak and not in herself.
The victim is currently undergoing stress debriefing following the incident, Homoc added. /rcg
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