Map of Talisay City Cebu
[Trigger warning: Sensitive case, mentions of rape]
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A man from Talisay City in southern Cebu is facing charges of statutory rape after being accused of raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter multiple times.
The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) on Monday, July 29 filed statutory rape against a former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) for allegedly raping his minor stepdaughter.
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The victim celebrated her 14th birthday on Tuesday, July 30. According to the NBI-7, it had been her birthday wish to put her stepfather behind bars to stop the abuse.
The suspect was arrested in his house last July 26 where social workers from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) and Talisay City Government rescued the victim.
NBI-7 has opted not to disclose the name of the suspect, who currently worked as a home-based virtual assistant, due to the nature of the case.
The arrest stemmed over a complaint filed at the bureau’s office last July 16, alleging that the suspect had been repeatedly raping the victim in his residence.
The concerned citizen told agents that the victim would share to her classmates that she had been constantly raped by her stepfather, often with siblings sleeping in her bedroom.
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Further investigations also revealed that the sexual abuse allegedly started when the victim was still eight years old, and that the most recent one happened around 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. on July 26, the same day the suspect was arrested.
In some instances, the suspect would also physically hurt the victim by hitting and slapping her. He even threatened her if she would reveal to anyone about her predicament and that doing so would tear the family apart, NBI-7 said.
During the arrest on July 26, the suspect and another relative allegedly tried to prevent police officers from apprehending him, they said.
He was was subjected to inquest proceedings before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Talisay City for the statutory rape.