Victim “taken” from club: Three men “gang rape” 21-year-old woman

CEBU, Philippines - A drinking spree ended badly for a 21-year-old woman who allegedly woke up with a weary body, in a different place and with three other men beside her in a boarding house in Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City Monday morning.

The woman, a native of Cebu City, went to the Fuente Police Station, together with her aunt, and reported that she was raped by three men who brought her to the boarding house of one of the suspects.

Chief Inspector David Señor, the outgoing acting chief of the Fuente Police Station, said based on the accounts of the victim, she, together with her cousins and friends were having fun and drinking in one of the clubs along General Maxilom Avenue Sunday night.

At around 10 p.m., the woman allegedly excused herself from her drinking companions to use the comfort room.

However, the woman alleged that when she went out of the comfort room, an unknown man held her right hand. She reportedly tried to get away from the man but he punched the woman’s abdomen which made her unconscious.

Señor said when the victim regained her consciousness, she was already in a different place and three unknown persons took turns in sexually abusing her.

The alleged gang rape happened outside one of the suspect’s room, said Señor, and after the incident, the suspects allegedly brought the woman outside of compound.

Señor said when the woman, who was reportedly already hysterical that time, reported to their station, they immediately conducted a hot-pursuit operation and arrested Peter Bendanillo, 48, the caretaker of the boarding house.

He said Bendanillo was positively identified by the victim as the last one who sexually abused her.

The other  suspect a hotel and restaurant management student in one of the universities in Cebu and is reportedly a basketball player in his college department. He, however, was already not in the area when police came.

Señor said the woman also failed to identify the third person who raped her.

Bendanillo, who is detained at the Fuente Police Station, faced reporters yesterday and denied all the woman’s allegations against him.

He said it was impossible for him to be one of the suspects since, as the caretaker of the boarding house, he stays in a different building inside the compound.

Bendanillo said he was sleeping in his own bedroom when he was awakened by the sound of people apparently having a fight. When he went outside, he was surprised that the woman then pointed to him as one of those who raped her.

“Mura’g nawala man gud to siya sa panimuot ba unya pataka na lang og panudlo,” said Bendanillo.

He said the security guard of the building across their boarding house also witnessed that it was Dumpe who brought the woman inside his boarding house.

“Wala gyud intawn ko ana uy. Wala gyud intawn,” said Bendanillo.

He said Dumpe even called him and admitted to him it was him who did the crime.

Señor said the rape case was already filed yesterday afternoon. — (FREEMAN)