Thursday, February 26, 2004
Man accused of raping niece
By Karlon N. Rama
THE Office of the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor has approved the filing of a rape and child abuse case against a man who allegedly molested his 16-year-old niece.
Associate Prosecutor Jasmin Despi endorsed the original findings of Municipal Trial Court Judge Glenda Go and filed the case before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) criminal division.
With the filing of the case, a warrant of arrest is expected against Rolando Caño, alias Allan, of San Fernando, Cebu, who neighbors and other relatives believe is innocent.
In her complaint, Mimi (not her real name) accused her uncle of bringing her to an abandoned house where she was raped around 8 p.m. of Oct. 4, 2003. She was at her uncle’s house for the town fiesta and the disco.
Cousins, friends and neighbors, however, executed affidavits saying the victim was seen inside the disco hall around 7:30 p.m. of that same night where she was “dancing up and down” and “in high spirits” until 1:30 a.m. of Oct. 5, when they went home.
Not abandoned
Even the owner of the house where the rape allegedly happened said the place was never abandoned and that nothing untoward occurred there at the time Mimi mentioned.
“After a careful perusal of the records at hand, the undersigned finds the resolution dated Jan. 7, 2004, of the investigating judge (Go) sufficient and well-grounded, thus there is no reason to disturb her findings that the crime of rape was committed by Rolando Caño alias Allan,” Despi’s resolution, approved by Provincial Prosecutor Ce-zar Tajanlangit, read.
In her sworn statement before investigating policemen, Mimi, a second-year high school student, said the rape happened in the house of one Lola Dora in Barangay Tinubdan, San Fernando, Cebu.
She, together with her father, a cousin and two younger siblings went to Tinubdan, from their house in Barangay Tonggo, to attend the town fiesta, upon the invitation of her uncle, the suspect.
Mimi said she and her sisters, together with their cousin, stayed at the suspect’s house in Tinub-dan even after her father had left for home, because they wanted to attend the disco.
However, around 8 p.m., she said the suspect asked her to accompany him to a house, owned by Lola Dora but, as soon as they arrived, the suspect undressed and raped her. The rape was allegedly repeated five times.
(February 26, 2004 issue)
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