Guard faces rape raps

CEBU, Philippines - Police arrested on Wednesday a security guard who was accused of sexually abusing a six-year-old girl in Barangay Tabok, Mandaue City.

Danilo Gerona, 42, was still on duty at Palmas Verdes Subdivision when he was nabbed by operatives of Basak Police Station after the girl's mother reported to the police that the suspect had abused her child many times.

The victim came to tell her mother of her ordeal only after a neighbor saw that the suspect allegedly touched the girl's genitals.

In an interview, Basak Police chief Genilo Veraque said based on their investigation, it was found out that the suspect had sexually molested the child several times as he was a family friend who always frequented the victim's house.

In fact, Gerona is godfather to the victim's other sibling.

According to Veraque, the victim said that everytime the suspect was in their house, he would touch her genitals and insert his middle finger into the girl's private part.

The girl said she felt pain during the first instance and no longer felt the pain after the suspect did it to her several times in exchange for P10.

Gerona is now detained at Basak Police Station pending the filing of a rape case in relation to RA 7610 against him. — (FREEMAN)