Man gets life for raping neighbor

The Caloocan City Regional Trial Court sentenced a 55 year-old man yesterday to life in prison for repeatedly raping his 11 year-old neighbor four years ago in Camarin, Caloocan.

In his seven-page decision, Caloocan Judge Silvestre Bello found sufficient grounds to convict Joseto Sampaga of two counts of rape.

Bello also ordered the accused to pay the victim P125,000 for moral and exemplary damages.

Court records showed that Sampaga sexually abused his neighbor, now 15 years-old, on Dec. 15 and Dec. 29, 1996 in a vacant lot near his home in Camarin.

The prosecution said the first incident occurred while the victim was on her way to school at about 5:30 a.m. As she passed by the grassy lot, Sampaga grabbed her and forced her to lie down. After raping her, the accused threatened the victim with death if she reported the abuse to anyone.

Two weeks later, Sampaga again waited for the victim to pass by the same area and succeeded in sexually abusing her anew.

After several months of keeping the ordeals to herself, the victim mustered enough courage to tell her aunt Lilia about the sexual abuse. They then filed a formal complaint against Sampaga.

During trial, Sampaga denied ever sexually abusing the victim and said that he could not have raped his neighbor because many residents regularly pass by the vacant lot even in the early mornings.

But Bello gave credence to the victim’s "credible testimony," and because she positively identified Sampaga as her rapist.

Bello added that the accused could have committed the crime anywhere and anytime because "rape has no respecter of time and place."