Angry women arrest suspect in sexual assault

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—An elementary school pupil became a mother in June and that made the women of Sagada town in Mountain Province very angry.

On July 25, 30 Sagada women, many of them mothers, stormed the house of a man who may have fathered her child and placed him under citizens’ arrest.

The suspect, a yoga instructor, is facing child abuse charges in the Regional Trial Court in Bontoc town for allegedly victimizing nine children, some as young as 5.

Reason to be suspicious

The suspect has been detained at the local police where he sought protection on Aug. 2, claiming his life was in danger. A migrant, he has been living in the town since 2014.

“He abused our hospitality, he abused our children and he insulted our community,” said one of the women who arrested the suspect.

The women said they had reason to be suspicious. A day after the women dragged the suspect to the local police, he was released because the police had no legal basis to hold him at the time, said SPO4 Johnny Paleyan, deputy chief of police.

But the suspect returned this week and placed himself under police custody.

The Sagada social welfare office has been counseling the abused children.

Police said reports about the abuses surfaced when the young mother identified the suspect as her child’s father.

Another woman who helped arrest the suspect said she overheard her daughter and some friends arguing about what turned out to be the suspect’s alleged activities.

 Watch TV programs

The girls claimed they became acquainted with the suspect, who paid them P20 for helping with chores. Soon the man allowed some of the girls to watch programs on TV in his house, according to an account included in the complaint.

Some of the girls were later coerced to join him in the bedroom, the  complaint said. Kimberlie Quitasol, Inquirer Northern Luzon