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Friday, February 17, 2006
Gingoog City judge denies sex charges
By Lizanilla J. Amarga and Joey P. Nacalaban
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- A Gingoog City trial court judge accused of raping a court stenographer for the last two years vehemently denied the charges Thursday.
"I am the victim in this case," Gingoog Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 27 presiding judge Rexel Pacuribot told Sun.Star.
Court stenographer Sherlita O. Tan slapped Pacuribot, her direct superior, with multiple rape and acts of lasciviousness charges.
Pacuribot allegedly sexually abused Tan on several occasions in 2004 and 2005, some of which allegedly happened in two hotels in Cagayan de Oro City.
Pacuribot's wife, Misamis Oriental provincial treasurer Amelita Pacuribot, said Thursday that a priest in Gingoog City is also after of her husband's downfall.
"Mo-support siya sa nanumbong kay gusto niya ma-punish akong bana for some dubious reasons," the wife said. (He is supporting those making up the stories because he wants my husband punished for dubious reasons.)
She claimed that the court employee is making "baseless charges" just to get back at her husband for being "strict" at work.
The judge denied that he in any way harassed his own female stenographer who filed a criminal complaint against him.
He said, "In fact, I am the one being harassed...everything was done to humiliate me."
Pacuribot pointed out how his female accuser even "deliberately" called for a press conference after filing her complaint before City Prosecutor Isidro Revelo in Gingoog City.
"Everything (filing of rape charges and press conference) was done with pomp!" he said.
Pacuribot's accuser alleged that the trial court judge sexually molested her twice in two separate hotels here in Cagayan de Oro City last Oct. 20, 2004.
Prior to this, she claimed that Pacuribot had been sexually harassing her, using the latter's "moral ascendancy" to intimidate her.
The 44-year-old Tan -- who is already married and has two children -- alleged that on Oct. 20, 2004, Pacuribot sexually molested her twice in two separate hotels in the city.
On October 4, when she refused a dinner invitation, Pacuribot allegedly sent her this text message: "Ikaw man gud, dili man ko nimo isuroy, tan-awa nasakit na hinoun ko, mitaas na hinoun ako blood pressure (See, because, you won't go out with me outside I got sick - my blood pressure went up)."
The Cagayan de Oro incidents, Tan claimed, occurred when she attended a wedding ceremony at Pryce Plaza hotel. Pacuribot allegedly appeared at the hotel and offered to give her a ride to the Agora terminal where Gingoog-bound buses are stationed. She said she initially resisted but the judge, who told her he was in the city attending a masonic conference at that time, persisted.
Instead of bringing her to Agora terminal, Tan said Pacuribot headed to a certain motel and it was there that the sexual assault occurred.
Tan said she tried to resist but was overpowered by Pacuribot who was armed with a revolver.
Not contented, Pacuribot allegedly brought her to Discovery Hotel in Osmeña Street, moments later, and then forced her to another round.
The victim said the incidents were followed by threats and sexual advances from the judge, most of which were done inside Pacuribot's chamber.
The latest abuse on her, she alleged, was on Nov. 24, 2005, when she was about to hand over documents to the magistrate, in which the judge threatened to degrade her performance rating after she refused his sexual advances.
The prosecutor has given Judge Pacuribot at least 10 days to reply to the charges.
The female accuser claimed she has no private lawyer as yet but is thinking of seeking help from the women's sector for moral support.
But Pacuribot's wife Amelita defended her husband, citing several loopholes in the accuser's charges.
"My husband is being framed up," she said.
Amelita said the female stenographer wants to get back at her husband for recently castigating her for her "poor performance."
"Istrikto man gud na si Rexel basta sa tarbaho na (My husband is strict when it comes to work)," she said.
Part of the complaint-affidavit submitted by the female stenographer against the trial court judge was on how he threatened to degrade her performance rating after she refused his sexual advances.
"Magkita ra ta sa imong performance rating (we will see about your performance rating)," she quoted Pacuribot as threatening her.
Amelita said she couldnot understand why the female accuser delayed the filing of the rape and acts of lasciviousness charges.
Amelita said she also received reports that a certain priest is supporting her husband's accuser. She said reports alleged that this priest also has an axe to grind against her husband who did not give in to an earlier request of the priest.
"I was just informed that this priest earlier wanted to ask some favor from my husband but my husband turned it down because it could not be done and the priest has no personality to make such a request, now this priest wants to punish my husband for it," she said in the dialect. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
(February 17, 2006 issue)
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