TACLOBAN CITY—A 49-year-old security guard was arrested on Monday (Aug. 17) for allegedly raping a female COVID-19 patient in a quarantine facility in Villaba town, Leyte province.
The guard, whose identity was withheld by authorities, was also fired from his work after the alleged sexual assault that took place at the village of Tinghub in Villaba, according to the town mayor, Jorge Veloso, in a statement.
According to the 44-year-old female patient, she was raped twice by the suspect. The first rape happened last Saturday (Aug. 15) and the second took place two days after.
Veloso said the woman, a stranded individual, reported the rapes to a nurse in the quarantine facility.
The nurse reported it to Dr. Oliver Razo, municipal health officer, who reported the assault to the mayor.
“I immediately ordered our chief of police to arrest and file charges against him,” the town mayor said, referring to the security guard.
The security guard, a casual worker of the municipal government, was arrested around 11 p.m. on Monday.
Two counts of rape were filed against him on Tuesday (Aug. 18).
The guard was detained at the Villaba police station.
The woman assaulted by the guard was set to leave the quarantine facility after coronavirus tests yielded negative results.