19-year-old accuses tribal elder of rape

The national chairman of the Supreme Council of Datus-Alimaong Tribal Center was charged for allegedly raping a 19-year old volunteer from Bukidnon several times.

The 19-year-old victim was assisted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group when she filed five counts of rape against Roderick Sumatra before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office.

In a five-page affidavit, the victim said she was raped by Sumatra five times between last March 27 and April 28 inside the Supreme Council of Datus-Alimaong Tribal Center in barangay Busay, Cebu City.

The victim said she arrived at their tribal center in January as a volunteer worker. She was assigned to do the housekeeping, cooking and laundry for the people working in the center for compensation but in exchange for free board and lodging.

Aside from her there are other two women volunteers at the center, but they left together with their children for their hometown in Misamis Oriental last March 25 when their father died. The victim said that from March 25 until 27 she slept alone in a room.

On March 27 at about 2 a.m. she was allegedly awakened by Sumatra embracing her. The victim said she struggled to escape but he was too strong for her and succeeded in allegedly raping her.

Sumatra reportedly threatened to kill her and her family if she would reveal what he did. Three days later Sumatra again went to her room and dragged at gunpoint to his room where she claimed her raped her again.

The incidents were repeated again allegedly on April 1, 20 and 28.

The victim said another worker in the center helped her get out of the suspect's custody on May 4. According to the victim, she immediately reported what happened to her to the other members of their tribe.

She went to the provincial hospital in Cagayan de Oro City supposedly to have her examination but the hospital allegedly refused because the incident happened in Cebu City. The victim said she asked for help from her sister in Bulacan who brought her to the police headquarters in Camp Crame.

The victim said she decided to come back to Cebu City last September 4 and reported what had happened to her to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. - Fred P. Languido