Police file raps vs resto owner, workers

THE Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) has filed criminal charges before the City Prosecutor’s Office against a couple who owns a restaurant and two of their workers who allegedly detained and tortured a teenage boy in Zamboanga City.

The ZCPO said among the charges filed against them include for violation of Republic Act 9745, otherwise known as the Anti-Torture Act of 2009, illegal detention, rape and frustrated murder.

The respondents were named as Irvin Apostol, and his wife, Caroline Imee, who owns the restaurant and their workers namely Richard Ramay-Ramay, and Leo Alvarez, the police said.

The police said the charges stemmed from the alleged detention and torture of Christopher Setit, 18, who was accused of stealing a television set from the couple’s restaurant along Mayor Jaldon Street, Canelar village.

Policemen led by ZCPO’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Management (CIDM) chief Senior Inspector Arlan Delumpines on Tuesday rescued Setit following report that the teenager was forcibly detained inside the restaurant, the police said.

Investigation disclosed that the suspects allegedly tied both hands and feet and covered the face of Setit with cellophane and tortured him using round bar and pliers, the police said.

Of the four suspects, three of them were still at large since only Ramay-Ramay was arrested in a follow-up operation, the police said.