Carcar valedictorian ‘raped’; suspect falls

CEBU, Philippines – Police arrested a 33-year-old man in a hot pursuit operation after a 16-year-old girl accused him of raping her Sunday night in Barangay Ocaña, Carcar City.

Santiago Powaw, 33, was nabbed in his residence in Barangay Ocaña.

PO3 Vivian Tamayo of the Women's and Children's Protection Desk of Carcar City Police Station, said the suspect fit the descriptions of the victim, thus he was arrested.

The victim told Tamayo that at the time of the incident, she was making her school project in an internet café because she does not have a computer at home.

When she was about to go home, a classmate sent her a message over the phone inviting her for a birthday dinner, which she attended. After dinner, she decided to go home.

But while she was walking on the road waiting for a tricycle, a man allegedly grabbed, dragged her to the grassy area and raped her. She saw the tattoo on the right shoulder of the suspect who was wearing cargo shorts and a red basketball jersey.

When police arrived at Powaw's house, he was hesitant to come out, but Tamayo, together with the Special Weapons and Tactics personnel of Carcar City, made him surrender. He was still wearing the same clothes when police picked him up.

The police also confiscated drug paraphernalia from the suspect when he was arrested.

The suspect's wife was emotional during the arrest and told the officers she would file charges against them. But this did not stop the police from taking her husband to the police station.

Meanwhile, the victim was brought to the Pink Room of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center where examinations showed she was positively raped.

The victim, a graduating high school student and running for valedictorian, was still in a state of shock and needed to undergo psychological tests.

Tamayo said rape charges were filed against the suspect yesterday in Carcar City.