Girl sues Ecija vice mayor for rape

CABANATUAN CITY—Vice Mayor Romeo Borja Jr. of Pantabangan town, Nueva Ecija province, is facing a rape complaint filed by an 18-year-old former beauty queen, who said she had been sexually abused by the official repeatedly.

Accompanied by officials of the party-list group Gabriela, the victim filed the case at the Department of Justice in Manila on Monday against Borja, who allegedly sexually abused her at least six times from June to September 2011.

Aside from the vice mayor, also charged were Borja’s supposed security escort Fritz Taguinin and the victim’s friend, a certain Denden Escuadro.

The girl, who is eight months pregnant, said she first met the vice mayor in 2010 when she won a beauty contest in Pantabangan at the age of 17.

“I came out and filed this case against Vice Mayor Borja for the people to know what happened to me and seek justice. He must be made to answer for the crime he committed,” the girl said in a statement that was submitted to the DOJ.

Another woman, who earlier charged Borja with qualified seduction in Cabanatuan City, also went with the girl at the DOJ to show her support.

The woman said she was working as housemaid for Borja’s family when the vice mayor made sexual advances on her. The woman said she gave birth to Borja’s child three months ago.

In her complaint, the girl claimed Borja began courting her through text messages after the beauty pageant.

In June last year, she said she attended a drinking party at her friend’s house where she passed out, only to wake up allegedly being molested by Borja. The girl said she was too weak to fight off the vice mayor.

After the abuse, the girl said Borja warned her against informing her relatives about what happened. She also said the vice mayor threatened to distribute the pictures of their sexual encounter if she would not meet with him.

Asked if he knew the girl, Borja said: “I cannot say as I don’t have the copy of the complaint.”

But he said that he was being set up by his political foes. “After all, that is what every sitting official wants to do [in order to ran unopposed in the next polls],” he said.

His father, Romeo Borja Sr., is the incumbent mayor of Pantabangan.

Gabriela Representatives Emmi de Jesus and Luz Ilagan asked Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to order a preliminary investigation and to file the necessary criminal charges against Borja.

“The rape and abuse of women in Pantabangan will continue with impunity and women will always live in fear as long as justice is not served,” Ilagan said.

De Jesus said: “Gabriela’s experience shows that rapists (who are holding public office) offer bribes, threaten families, destroy reputations (of their victims) and buy out judges. It will be an uphill struggle for the victims but we are ready to support them.” With a report from Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon