ANGELES CITY -- The Korean community in Central Luzon has expressed concern about a recent news item, which depicted eight Korean nationals as suspects in the alleged gang rape of a 22-year-old single mother.
The Korean Community Association in Central Luzon, which is composed of more than 20,000 members, stated that its members might earn the ire of Filipinos following the airing of the report on national and local media.
"There was no gang rape," officers of the Korean association told the police.
Reports had it that the 22-year-old woman was raped by eight Koreans led by a certain Mr. Lee on Sunday inside a resto bar in Angeles City.
Lee, another Korean man and his Filipina girlfriend, appeared before the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Wednesday and claimed that the gang rape report is not true.
He reportedly told police investigators that the girl from Bulacan filed the case because he failed to give her P3,500, which they agreed before meeting up.
Lee said he met the woman in a social media web chat prior to their meeting. He also clarified that it was only him and not eight Koreans who agreed to check-in inside a hotel in Barangay Anunas.
Police officers handling the case also discovered some conflicting statements in the affidavit of the victim.
Lee and his companions also provided the authorities CCTV footages showing him and the woman dining at a restaurant, almost the same time that the victim claimed she was being raped by eight Koreans.
At around 11:00 a.m. on Monday, medical staff of Rafael Lazatin Memorial Hospital (formerly Ospital Ning Angeles) informed elements of Police Station 4 that an alleged rape victim was admitted at the said hospital.
A team of policemen, led by Senior Inspector Dante Cabungcal, proceeded to the said hospital to verify the report.
The police officers met Graysie (not her real name), who disclosed that around 10:00 a.m. on June 14, she met a certain Mr. Lee, a Korean national in a social media dating application, WECHAT.
The victim said she agreed on meeting with the suspect around 10:00 p.m. on the same day at Bada Restaurant located along Friendship Highway in Barangay Anunas, where the two had a couple of shots of Sojo Korean, an alcoholic drink.
After an hour, the suspect reportedly brought Graysie to a resto bar where seven other Koreans were having a drinking spree.
The victim claimed that she was forced to drink liquor by the suspects who also sexually abused her.
The drunk Korean nationals even reportedly inserted a bottle in the victim’s genitals and burned her foot and legs using a lighter, police said.
Lee then brought Graysie to Prince Hotel along Friendship Highway and allegedly raped her, the report said.
After a couple of minutes, the victim got a chance to escape and went home revealing her ordeal to her parents.