Thursday, October 30, 2008 Teacher held on sex raps By Jovy Taghoy-Gerodias Sun.Star Staff Reporter With Rene H. Martel
ONE more suspect in the alleged molestation of minors in Barangay Luz, Cebu City was arrested in an entrapment yesterday afternoon.
Operatives of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO-IDMB) arrested 44-year-old Faustino Maghanoy Cabrera, or Dodong to the young boys, a high school teacher at a university in the city.
Luz Barangay Captain Nida Cabrera, who was the one who sought the police assistance in running after the suspect, said she can now heave a sigh of relief now that Faustino and another suspect, Lewis “Boy George” Dacanay, have been arrested.
She said she wants the two suspects to rot in jail for abusing the minors.
At the same time, she urged officials of neighboring Mabolo, Apas, and Lahug to also conduct their own investigation as the information she received is that Dacanay also haunts there.
She said Dacanay had been operating for around five years already the number of victims are definitely more.
Faustino’s arrest served as a follow-up operation by IDMB operatives led by SPO1 Filomeno Mendaros after police pounced on Dacanay last Sunday afternoon.
Dacanay, a computer engineer, has been charged with two counts of rape, serious illegal detention, acts of lasciviousness, and child abuse before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.
More criminal complaints, however, will be filed today against Dacanay after children, a few as young as six years old, executed affidavits detailing how he sexually exploited them.
As of yesterday afternoon, 14 children have already issued sworn statements on their experience with Dacanay, who is detained at the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) stockade on Gorordo Ave.
“We will already file those statements that have been completed while we continue working on the affidavits of the others and gathering supporting documents,” said City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, who was surprised to learn that there are more than 10 children, including the three who filed five counts of child abuse against Dacanay, who have been victimized.
As to the trauma suffered by the victims, Carillo said he already coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWSD) 7 for the office to give “psycho-social interventions and stress debriefings.
In Faustino’s arrest, Mendaros’ team set the entrapment up after the barangay chief informed them that Faustino asked two minors to meet with him at 1 p.m. yesterday.
Police later learned that Faustino was unaware of Dacanay’s arrest.
Mendaros told Sun.Star Cebu that in the investigation they have conducted, Dacanay and Faustino do not know each other. It just happened that some of the minors allegedly molested by Dacanay have also been victimized by Faustino.
Dacanay reportedly lured children by offering them money and free computer games.
Roel (real name withheld), 15, told Sun.Star Cebu that Dacanay first made contact with his “original” victims, a few of whom brought “new” kids to him, through an online social-networking group.
Like Dacanay, Faustino allegedly lured the minors to go with him by giving them money ranging from P150 to P200.
Faustino would also reportedly take photographs of his victims while playing with their genitals.
Using two minors as decoys, police operatives monitored Faustino’s meeting with the boys inside a mall.
Faustino then brought the two minors on board his Mitsubishi Galant (GAH-842) near a motel at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City.
At this instance, Mendaros’ team arrested Faustino.
Mendaros said that as of last night, at least 14 minors, with ages ranging from 11 to 14, have executed affidavit against Faustino.
Some of the minors confessed that they were allegedly molested by Faustino way back in 2004 yet.
The minors claimed that Faustino would take photographs of their genitals or their nude bodies before performing anal sex on them.
An 11-year-old victim told Sun.Star Cebu that both Faustino and Dacanay have abused him.
Faustino allegedly molested him sometime in 2006 while Dacanay had sex with him just this February.
He said that both suspects threatened to hit him if he refused.
In an interview with Sun.Star Superbalita, Faustino admitted taking photographs of the minors but denied sexually abusing them.
He said he knows that what he has been doing is not right, but just could not control it.
“Bata pa ko, kahibawo nako nga ing-ani ko,” Faustino said, adding that he felt delighted watching the nude minors.
Faustino also said he would try to amicably settle the case because he is apprehensive that the university where he is employed would dismiss him. (With reports from CPL of Sun.Star Superbalita)
