Man makes adopted daughter sex slave for 5 years

MANILA, Philippines - A 48-year-old man was arrested in Valenzuela City yesterday for allegedly keeping his 13-year-old adopted daughter a sex slave for the past five years.

Senior Police Officer 3 Jess Sagisi said Jimmy Tila, 48, a machine operator and resident of Barangay Ugong, faces multiple counts of rape before the city prosecutor’s office.

SPO1 Lorena Hernandez, officer-in-charge of the Women’s and Children Concerns Desk of the Valenzuela police, added that Tila is being charged in relation to Republic Act 7610, the anti-child abuse law.

She said the victim was an unwanted child left by her mother, soon after she gave birth, in the care of the suspect’s younger sister. She has since then lived with the suspect’s family in Valenzuela City.

Hernandez said the victim, now a second year high school student, told investigators she was last raped at around 10 p.m. on Friday in her room. She said she was first molested in 2006 when she was only eight years old.

The victim said Tila’s wife, Eva Panique, allegedly saw the suspect raping her but did nothing. She said she has told her adoptive mother about the previous attacks but was ignored.

The victim said she ran away from home with only the clothes on her back. Village watchmen in Sangandaan, Quezon City found her scrounging for food in garbage bins, and turned her over to Barangay Ugong officials, who tried to return her to her family.

The victim said she vehemently refused and asked to be taken to the police. The girl is in the custody of the city social welfare and development office.