DSWD, NBI rescue 13-year-old girl in Pasay

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, together with the National Bureau of Investigation-Violence Against Women and Children Division (NBI-VAWCD), rescued a 13-year-old girl, during an operation of the two agencies conducted on Monday in Pasay City.

The girl, a first year high school student, was rescued inside her school in Pasay City. She was only identified as a certain “Joy”.

In a letter sent to the NBI headquarters in Manila Monday, Delia Bawan, assistant regional director for administration of DSWD-National Capital Region, said the DSWD would conduct a rescue operation, that same day, on the girl who was “allegedly a victim of sexual molestation.” The letter also cited that the complaint had identified “Enrique Agana”, as the one who allegedly molested the girl.

Agana is reportedly the “director of the National Printing Office.”

Agana, who granted a television interview for ABS-CBN, had denied allegations of molestation. The letter to the NBI also read, “the case was referred to the department by the Chavez Miranda Aseoche law firm through the affidavit executed by Napoleon Bunagan Jr., a family friend of the victim, dated Jan. 16, detailing his knowledge of the alleged sexual molestation.” Bawan, in her letter, had requested the NBI for assistance on the rescue operations.

Blackmail

In an interview with the media at the NBI headquarters in Manila, lawyer Allan Contado, chief of the Anti-Graft Division of the NBI and spokesperson of the agency, said “allegedly, there was a complaint filed against this public official in the National Capital Region. However, hindi natuloy iyon dahil hindi tinuloy ng mother and ng bata (ang pag-file ng case against the public official).”

Contado said the case ended when the mother and the victim backed out in filing a case of molestation.

“But, on Jan. 15 or 17, lawyer Francisco Chavez sent a letter to the NBI requesting for an action on a particular complaint. However, we can’t do that because there was no complaint, so to speak,” said Contado. On Jan. 19, Contado said, there was a request from the DSWD by Bawan requesting the NBI to assist them on the rescue of alleged victim of sexual molestation. “So on that basis, the NBI acted on it and accompanied the DSWD rescue operations. Nakuha ang bata (the girl was rescued),” said Contado.

Contado clarified the NBI only “assisted in the rescue” and is “not investigating the alleged molestation.”

“We have acted based on the request of ano­ther government agency for us to assist them on the rescue operations. However, for the record, we are not conducting an investigation on that matter,” he said. “Our VAWCD just acted on the request,” he said.

Reports also said the mother, Carmelita Estaño, is planning to file “kidnapping charges against the DSWD and the NBI operatives who “rescued” the child. “It is within the rights of the mother to file any appropriate charges to concerned officials or officers, in so far as the alleged kidnapping incident is concerned. Nevertheless, the stand of the NBI is just to assist the DSWD on its rescue operations of the child. It was not a kidnapping incident,” said Contado.