Monday, July 21, 2008 5 Subic lawmen face robbery, sex abuse raps
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT - Five Subic law enforcers are now in hot water after an 18-year-old female accused them of robbing and sexually abusing her last month.
According to the initial investigation of the Intelligence and Investigation Office of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), the incident happened at around 2:30 a.m. last June 10.
SBMA deputy administrator for administration Robert Martinez identified the five Subic law enforcers as police officers Nelson Samaniego, Isagani Agno, Rolly Piscos, Conrado Acosta, and Renante Vicente.
The five suspects are now facing administrative cases, according to Martinez.
Martinez said that while the victim did not file the necessary complaint before the SBMA's Human Resources Department, where the secretariat of the Disciplinary Committee holds office, SBMA officials "were proactive enough to initiate an administrative investigation."
"We based our investigation on the complaint filed by the alleged victim before the Olongapo City Fiscal's Office," Martinez said.
"But we need the victim's cooperation so that the investigation might proceed. It's part of the due process," he stressed.
According to the complainant's statement to SBMA investigators on June 10, the incident happened after she left the Magic Lagoon Restaurant here alone, following some misunderstanding with her boyfriend.
As she was walking along the Rizal Highway here, going to the main gate between 2:00 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., five uniformed officers accosted her at the intersection near the football field.
After asking her for identification, the officers allegedly handcuffed her, took her money amounting to P8,000, forcibly removed her blouse and bra, and sexually molested the complainant.
The report was corroborated by an employee of Magic Lagoon, who said in a statement that he found the complainant sitting near the road at about 3:00 a.m., crying and looking dazed.
The witness, who recognized her as a regular customer at the restaurant, brought her back to her boyfriend, who accompanied her to the SBMA-IIO office to file a report at about 5:10 a.m. -Anthony Bayarong
