Friday, June 20, 2008 Rape suspect says cops mauled him
A MAN arrested for rape accused his arresting officers of beating him up yesterday morning.
Although he was arrested Wednesday night, Ponciano Cañete, 50, chose to have the alleged mauling recorded in the blotter of the Consolacion Police Station after his arresting officers’ shift ended.
SPO2 Rizalino Aligno, Consolacion Police desk officer, said Cañete was arrested in a hot pursuit after a 14-year-old girl’s mother pointed to him as her daughter’s abuser.
He was nabbed at 10:45 p.m.
Cañete hails from Barangay Lamac, Consola-cion, Cebu but was selling balut in Barangay Tayud, Liloan town, when he was arrested.
His arresting officers were identified as PO3 Jorame Espinosa, PO1 Ryan Rey Gerosa and some members of the barangay intelligence network (BIN).
Though Cañete could not name those who beat him up, he said he could only recognize their faces and gave a description of them.
Aligno said they will wait until today to see if Cañete can point out who among the police officers on duty that night were responsible of if Cañete was referring to the BIN members.
Cañete was taken to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center yesterday afternoon to have his bruises examined.
A TV news report showed Cañete with cuts on his face and bloodstains on his T-shirt. He denied being involved in a rape case. (MEA)
