Cop accused of rape can still go on duty – PRO-7

CEBU, Philippines - The policeman who is accused of raping a 17-year-old college student several times can still perform his regular function since there was no formal complaint filed against him, said his superior.

A mere allegation is not an enough basis to give sanctions to Police Officer 3 Alexander Juaton of Regional Personnel and Human Resources Development Division-7, said his immediate superior, Superintendent Renato Dugan.

“Status quota gihapon. Wa pa ta’y basehan kay wala pa’y proper complaint,” Dugan said of Juaton’s case.

Dugan said he only received in his office a blotter report of the incident and a medical certificate from Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, but there was no formal complaint.

Juaton still reported to office yesterday even amid reports that came out on Wednesday that he allegedly raped the daughter of a couple, whom he described as his close friends.

Juaton, in an interview, denied all the allegations, saying he could never do such accusation especially that he is a policeman.

Juaton is married and has three sons aged five, six, and 12. His family is in Mindanao.

The police officer said he was shocked about the allegations since as what he knew, it was allegedly the drug-addict brother of the victim who was sexually abusing her.

The girl, Juaton said, used to share to him her problems about her older brother. He said he would then advise her to tell the problem to her mother, but the victim allegedly got afraid that his brother might harm her.

Juaton suspects that the victim and the family might have gotten angry at him when the owner of the subdivision they are residing, who used to pay for the victim’s school fees, allegedly stopped supporting the victim.

Juaton said the victim’s family might have been thinking that it was him who told the subdivision owner, who is also an uncle of the girl, to stop supporting her with her school fees.

“Nitabang man gani ko para sa ilang anak unya ako na hinuon pasanginlan,” the policeman said.

Chief Superintendent Prudencio Tom Bañas, the director of PRO-7, also said they have yet to conduct an investigation.

“I cannot pre-judge the case,” said Bañas, adding that the case is already being handled by the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division-7.

Bañas said they will handle the case fairly even when the alleged party is their coworker.

The girl, through radio station dyHP, said the rape incidents happened on December 12 last year, January 5, February 26, March 17 and April 6. (FREEMAN)