A MAN who had been wanted for allegedly raping a 21-year-old woman with special needs was arrested by local police in Balamban town on Thursday morning, Nov. 3, 2022.

Flourencio Pacquiao, 46, was at his house when police officers from the Balamban Police Station came and served the arrest warrant issued against him by acting Toledo City Regional Trial Court 59 Judge Judilyn Hugo Tapia-Menchavez.

The warrant, issued on Oct. 24, did not recommend a bail amount for Pacquiao’s temporary liberty.

Lt. Col. Glenn Hife, Balamban Police Station chief, told SunStar Cebu that they’d been looking for Pacquiao for less than a year and even included him in their town’s most wanted list.

Hife said Pacquiao was charged after he allegedly raped Lucy (not her real name) in their barangay on the evening of May 28 this year.

One of Lucy’s relatives served as a complainant against Pacquiao.

Hife said that according to the complainant, Lucy and Pacquiao were attending a disco at the barangay’s sports complex when the suspect decided to take advantage of the victim’s mental disability to rape her.

Hife said that while the disco was ongoing, Pacquiao tried to entertain Lucy, after which he eventually brought her behind the sports complex where he allegedly molested her.

Several witnesses attested that they saw Pacquiao forcibly drag Lucy to the area behind the sports complex before the crime took place.

When a complaint was finally lodged against him, Pacquiao immediately fled from the barangay.

But local police received a tip from a concerned citizen that they had spotted Pacquiao returning to his barangay for the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day this week, to offer prayers for his deceased loved ones.

When they were able to confirm Pacquiao’s presence in the barangay, Hife and his personnel immediately initiated their plan to arrest him.

SunStar Cebu tried to get Pacquiao’s side on the matter, but he refused to comment. (GPL / JKV)