Octogenarian arrested for rape of 12-year-old

An 83-year-old man was arrested by the Argao Police last Tuesday for allegedly raping several times a 12-year-old neighbor.

Dioscoro Marson, Jr. alias "Tatang Osing", married, and a resident of sitio Balibid, barangay Casay in Argao town was arrested by the police after a warrant was signed by Judge Maximo Perez of the Regional Trial Court in Argao.

PO1 Virgilia Alvaracin of the Women's desk of Argao police yesterday said the girl who scavenges for a living, frequents the area where the suspect lives in search for recyclable items from trash which she could sell. Alvaracin said that although the girl was raped from April last year until recently, the girl gave in because the suspect "always gave her money."

However, a neighbor who knew of the girl's predicament reported the incident to the child's mother who at that time was also worried because her daughter would reportedly always complain about pains in her genitalia.

A medical check-up has confirmed that the girl was sexually abused.