A 15-YEAR-old girl filed a complaint of rape Tuesday against a sergeant of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and his two male companions, and accused a barangay (village) chairman of taking her to the unit barracks at the Malacañang compound in San Miguel, Manila, where he allegedly “sold” her to the men.
The victim, whose name has been withheld because she is a minor, claimed that S/Sgt. Walter Candelaria and two other men sexually abused her inside the PSG barracks after she was allegedly “sold” to the suspects by Barangay 637 Zone 65 chairman Angelo Murillo.
Women’s desk
Murillo and Candelaria voluntarily surrendered to the Manila Police District Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk (MPD-WCPD) to answer the complaint.
In her complaint, the teenager said she was brought to the barangay hall in San Miguel by Murillo and his men for allegedly violating a curfew imposed by the city for minors.
The victim claimed Murillo later told her that he was going to introduce her to people from whom she could earn money.
The men to whom she was introduced then allegedly forced her into a vehicle and took her to the PSG barracks inside the Malacañang compound.
The teenager claimed that once inside, she was raped by Candelaria and sexually molested by his two still unidentified companions. She was then allowed to return home later.
‘Politically motivated’
The teenager said she immediately reported the incident to barangay councilor Angelina Marzan, who accompanied her to the police.
Murillo, however, claimed that the accusation against him was fabricated and politically-motivated, adding that the persons who had encouraged the teenager to file a complaint had ran against him but lost in the previous barangay election.
“I was just implementing the curfew,” he said. The teenage girl was among many young constituents whom he constantly had to send home because they were still out on the streets despite a curfew, he added.
The barangay chairman and Candelaria remain in the custody of the police who are investigating the allegations against them. The two men are facing a charge of violation of Republic Act 7610, or the Anti-Child Abuse Act.
PSG action
Lt. Col. Ramon Dizon, PSG commander, said they had already coordinated with the MPD, adding that they would cooperate in the investigation.
He said the PSG would also conduct its own inquiry “not on the criminal aspect but more on violations of our regulations.”
“As you know, we’re not supposed to bring unauthorized persons inside our barracks,” Dizon told reporters.
The PSG official said the area covered in the incident is headed by a female officer, Maj. Francel Taborlupa, so he is confident that she will not stand this kind of behavior—if indeed it happened—under her jurisdiction. With a report from Norman Bordadora