Police nab 62-year-old ‘rapist’

A 62-YEAR-OLD man was arrested by the operatives of Alubijid Municipal Police Station after he was accused of raping his 17-year-old neighbor.

Senior Police Officer 1 Celeste Saa, head of Women’s and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) of Alubijid Municipal Police Station, identified the suspect as Artemio Manolo, a widow and resident of purok 3, sitio Bongbongon, Barangay Tugasnon, Alubijid town in Misamis Oriental.

Saa told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that the arrest of Manolo came when the teacher of the victim reported to police after the suspect went to the classroom of the victim who is still a grade five pupil.

The suspect was arrested Friday around 5 p.m. in the said area.

The victim was raped for several times based on the result of her medical examination at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center.

“We had a difficulty in questioning the victim because she can only remember being raped on July 24 and 27, but actually, she’s been raped
since January,” Saa told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

The victim told the police that she has been threatened by the suspect, reason why she did not tell her mother about the incident and only confessed of being kissed by the suspect in exchange of P5.

“On Friday, the suspect went to the school and looked for the victim in her classroom. The teacher was already aware of the incident as told by the victim’s mother, so the teacher hid the child and called for police assistance,” Saa said.

It was only that time that the mother knew that her daughter was indeed raped by the suspect, according to Saa.

Manolo, who is now detained at the mini-cell of Alubijid Municipal Police Station, declined to give statement as to the incident during police interrogation.

The police are now preparing for the charges of rape against the suspect to be filed today, Monday. (Annabelle L. Ricalde)