Girl 'raped' and 'robbed' in Bogo City

CEBU, Philippines - A 17-year-old girl was raped and robbed of her mobile phone in Barangay Dakit, Bogo City late evening last Thursday.

Chief Insp. Ceferino Tabay Jr., chief of Bogo Police Station, said the incident happened shortly after the girl left the store where she was supposed to buy electronic load.

The incident reportedly happened in an area across a school, a drop-off point for buses. The area was already dark at the time the incident happened around 10:30 p.m.

Tabay said that the victim, an out-of-school youth, decided to return home after finding out that the store where she wanted to buy electronic load was closed. Suddenly, a man who was seen sitting along the road earlier allegedly kissed her suddenly and started touching her body.

The girl managed to free herself from the man, but the suspect reportedly caught up with her at a cornfield where she usually passes when heading home. There, the suspect allegedly succeeded in raping her and later took her phone away.

Investigation showed that the suspect also threatened to kill the girl if she would tell anyone about what happened.

Tabay said a follow-up investigation is underway to identify the suspect. The girl told the police earlier that she would be able to identify the suspect if she sees him again.

The girl would be made to undergo examination at the pink room of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City to verify the rape allegation. She, however, did not return to the police station yesterday, Tabay said.    - THE FREEMAN