Mayor suffers heart attack over arrest warrant

CEBU, Philippines – The mayor of Rizal, Palawan, is now confined at the Hospital ng Palawan after allegedly suffering a heart attack after a warrant of arrest issued against him for a rape case in Cebu was served.

Regional Trial Court judge Branch 18 Gilbert Moises issued the warrant last August 25, 2010 against Mayor Nicolas Montaño Sr. for the case of rape.

It is still not clear, however, if the mayor is the same Nicolas Montaño Sr. accused of abusing a manicurist from Danao City, Cebu.

The warrant of arrest was endorsed by Moises to the Cebu City Police Office but when the CCPO forwarded the warrant of arrest to the Police Security Protection Office in Camp Crame, the office sent policewoman Sarah Jane Paho to Rizal, Palawan, to serve it.

When Montaña received the warrant last Monday he allegedly went into shock, suffered a heart attack and was brought to the hospital.

As of last night Montaño was still being watched at the Hospital Ng Palawan.

In an interview over dySS, the relatives of Montaño claimed Montaño never left the town on July 11, 2010, the date the alleged crime took place.

The address of the Montaño in the rape case was also listed as sitio Ibabao, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.

Last July 8, 2010, the victim, who worked in a salon at the Danao City Public Market, was introduced to a certain "Dina" who came to the salon to have a manicure and pedicure.

Dina asked the victim if she wanted another job and the victim said yes. When Dina asked for a P500 "placement fee", she gave her the amount.

When the victim contacted Montaño through text, the latter called her and told her to see him at an inn along Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City, around 8 a.m. on July 11, 2010.

When the day of their meeting arrived, Montaño introduced himself as her future boss and showed her his ID. Montaño handed her P2,000 and told her to get a room at the inn and wait there.

At around 8 p.m. that same day, Montaño again called up the victim and told her to leave the room and wait for him outside the building. Montaño eventually arrived in a red car and told her to get in.

Montaño drove them to a house in a place she was not familiar with and took her to a room where he started undressing. The victim said she tried to escape but he was able to overpower her and rape her despite her struggles. 

After the incident, Montaño allegedly told her to get a shower and reportedly threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened to her. /BRP (FREEMAN)