Businessman accused of molesting student

MANILA, Philippines - A 22-year-old college student accused a businessman of sexually molesting her inside his house in Barangay San Miguel, Pasig City Tuesday.

The victim claimed Mariano Melendres, 35, invited her to his residence in the pretext of putting up a small business. However, once inside his condominium unit at Rama Building on Mercedes Avenue, Melendres threatened her with bodily harm and sexually molested her.

“He invited me to a joint business venture. But it turned out that it was only his ploy to get my trust and confidence,” said the victim, a student of the Jose Rizal College in Mandaluyong City.

The victim filed a formal complaint against Melendres before the Women’s and Children Protection Desk of the Pasig City police, which arrested Melendres.

The complainant claimed she and Melendres exchanged text messages, and he invited her to participate in a joint business venture involving clothing items from abroad.

Using a Mitsubishi Montero Sport, Melendres fetched her from school Tuesday. They had coffee at a restaurant and the suspect invited her to his condominium unit to choose the items she would sell.

At his unit, Melendres reportedly sniffed shabu and threatened to harm her if she refused his advances.

When Melendres allowed her to leave the condo unit, the victim went straight to a police station to file a formal complaint.

In his detention cell, Melendres denied the charges and said the victim only wants to extort money from him.