CEBU, Philippines — Six teenagers, aged 16 and 17, linked to the gang rape of an 18-year-old female inside an apartment in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City Thursday evening were arrested.
They were reportedly having a drinking spree from Thursday night to yesterday dawn after “surviving” their final examinations.
All suspects are Grade 11 students from one of the universities in the city. Four of them are 16 years old while the other two are 17.
Chief Inspector Wilbert Parilla, chief of Opao Police Station 5, said the suspects were arrested around 3 a.m. yesterday following the incident report of the victim’s 21-year-old sister.
The FREEMAN is withholding the names of the parties involved due to the sensitive nature of the case.
Based on police’s investigation, one of the suspects invited through Facebook the older sister, who accepted the invitation and tagged her younger sister along.
They drank at least two bottles of hard liquor.
During the drinking session, the victim, who was already drunk, was on her way to the comfort room, which is located on the second floor of the apartment, when stumbled and fell.
One of the suspects reportedly volunteered to assist the victim.
"Ang katong maguwang, okay ra sad niya kay since kaila ra sad niya. Iyaha ra gipasagdahan," Parilla told reporters yesterday.
"Apan nakabantay siya nga nagpuli-puli sila's (suspects) saka-kanaog. Mao to iyahang (elder sister) gisaka, mao to naabtan niya ang usa didto (sa CR). Nisulti sad ang iyahang manghod nga gihilabtan siya," he added.
One of the suspects reportedly stripped naked while the victim was half naked. The scene prompted the elder sister to call police for assistance.
The girl was made to undergo examination at the pink room of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center to ascertain if she was indeed raped.
Case will be filed against the suspects if the test yields a positive result, said Parilla.
"Mag (base ta sa result sa pink room. It can be rape (charges). It's up to the court's decision kung ipriso or i-rehab kay duna naman nay criminal liability kung over 15 years old na," he said.
In a separate interview, one of the suspects belied the allegation hurled against them.
He, however, admitted he touched the victim.
"Minor touches ra…hipo ra," he said.
The suspects will be temporarily turned over to the Mandaue City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) pending the filing of charges. (FREEMAN)