Gabriela decries Olongapo cops’ alleged rape of female drug suspect

Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus (Photo from her Facebook account)

Women linked to illegal drugs can be easy targets of sexual abuse by the police, militant women’s party-list group Gabriela said as it expressed alarm over the alleged rape of a female drug suspect inside a police station in Olongapo City.

Gabriela, in a statement issued on Friday, said the incident hints at how the Duterte administration’s war on drugs has placed women in a more vulnerable situation.

“The sexual assault of a female drug suspect by ‘Gapo’ cops (Olongapo policemen) confirms our fear—that women who are linked to illegal drugs can be easy targets of sexual abuse by the same people who are supposed to enforce the law,” said Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus said.

“Drug-linked women experience a heightened amount of fear if they would defy police orders, especially in the context of the bloody executions of random, helpless people by uniformed personnel. We wonder if there are other cases similar to what happened in Olongapo City,” she said.

“We are definitely supporting the victim in her battle to hold accountable these policemen. Even if she is accused of being linked to drugs, that should not diminish her standing in pursuing the complaints against the six cops,” De Jesus said.

Recently, six members of the Olongapo police were placed under restrictive custody after a 30-year-old female detainee accused them of rape and maltreatment. She was a drug suspect.

The victim filed criminal and administrative charges against PO1 Raymond Diaz, PO3 Diosdado Alterado, PO3 Stevie Rivera, PO2 Nelson Abalos, PO1 Ed Mesias, and PO1 Gaylord Calara at the Olongapo City prosecutor’s office here, said PO1 Juan Carlos Ventura, public information officer of Olongapo City police.

An Inquirer report on Wednesday said sexual assault allegedly took place at 1 a.m. on June 29, while the victim was detained at the custodial facility of Police Station 5 in Barangay Sta. Rita.

The detainee said she was forced to dance naked in front of one of the policemen. Another policeman allegedly forced her to have sex with him while other policemen watched. /jpv

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