Shocking rape, tales mar advent

What’s wrong with our jail system? That’s the common reaction to tales of escapes by even wanted terrorists from some high profile detention centers of the country.

After having been tracked down through dedicated effort and time-consuming sleuthing by security agents, suspected authors of murder and mayhem simply walk out of jail or detention centers sans a fuss from their jailors and guards. Oh, there is the usual flurry of fingerpointing and the orders for investigations followed by suspension orders. Then, Thundering silence.

But more scandalous, and albeit sadistic, incidents recently rocked Negrenses who have started joining the sale-run to malls and department stores in preparation for Christmas.

The most shocking was the rape of a 16-year old deaf mute inside the jail compound of the Murcia (Negros Occidental) jail compound.

The National Bureau of Investigation highlighted the gravity of the incident when they filed yesterday a complaint against three i names forth deaf-mutes rape last November 9.

The respondents are Richard Sevilla, Crisanto Anatan, and Ronnie Saldo. All detention prisoners of the Murcia jail.

The incident was just as shocking as the rape inside the detention center of Bacolod Police Station No. 1 of a teenage coed, booked for alleged failure to pay her dues to a local internet café.

How the police authorities had overlooked the broken lock of the door of the girl’s detention center is another story. But the fact is that several detention prisoners managed to rape the coed sans being noticed by the precinct officers and police force.

That led to the suspension of the precinct commander and several policemen on duty at that time. Worse, it was discovered that on receiving the complaint from the internet café operator, the desk officer did not even allow the coed to call her parents so they could pay her bills for the evening’s use of the internet.

The Murcia incident, however, topped the cake. Based on the report submitted by NBI Bacolod chief Arturo Nunag, the girl (name withheld) was watching basketball game at the Murcia Sports and Recreational Auditorium beside the town hall

Sevilla then brought her to the second floor of the prison compound’s "safehouse" where he raped the deaf mute, threatening to kill her if she shouted. Later, Sevilla invited the two others – Anatan and Saldo – to join him. Both allegedly raped the helpless girl twice, using force and intimidation, according to investigator Arturo Sigue.

The question – how could these rapes been undetected if the jailors and the policemen were doing their duties properly?

These twin incidents as with others in various parts of the country deserve a serious study by our authorities. Otherwise, we could end up with our police stations and detention centers like sieves through which terrorists can walk in and out and aberrant persons bring in potential rape victims.

Definitely scandalous. And deplorable.

Another sad tale

The period before the Christmas season is supposed to be devoted to joyful tales and the good news. Unfortunately, there are events that have to be brought to the attention of the authorities to assure justice for the aggrieved.

The common dilemma among the country’s journalists – to put in the inside pages or highlight crimes and other incidents that demand official intervention. For most of us, our experiences show that unless picked up by the Press, even the more heinous crimes get swept under the carpet.

Luckily, however, the Human Rights Commission Bacolod decided to handle the probe into a fatal vehicular mishap in Calatrava involving a municipal judge and the town’s ambulance driver.

The municipal judge – Rodolfo Garcia – of the Calatrava court reportedly was behind the wheel of his jeep that hit Francisco Cuales Ortega 36, and his 12-year old nephew Joemarie Pahubasan in Bgy. Bantayanon of that town last November 12.

Why the CHR chief Raymund Genopeda asked for the accident investigation report hinted some suspicions that there was something wrong that happened. But the inclusion of the Calatrava ambulance driver in the probe had more substance since Bacolod folks had the chance to hear the complaint aired by members of the Ortega family.