Court downgrades rape case against BSP official

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Trial Court downgraded the rape case filed against a Boy Scout of the Philippines official after findings showed that the alleged rape was done with the victim’s consent.

Assistant city prosecutor Victor Laborte, in an interview with reporters, said the rape charges against BSP regional director Alexander Kong filed by his 16-year-old house help has been downgraded to violation of Republic Act 7610, or the Anti-Child Abuse law, when some results of the investigation showed the alleged rape was done without force or intimidation used against the complainant.

The prosecution describes the BSP official’s alibi as “very weak,” but Kong’s lawyer said the rape allegation was hard to believe.

In a clarificatory hearing, Kong said he was in Dumaguete City attending a funeral the time when the alleged rape happened.

In her affidavit, the minor house help said that on February 18, 2008, she was sleeping inside her room at the house of her employer here in Cebu City when he woke her and asked her to massage him.

The complainant alleged that while she was massaging Kong, he suddenly pulled her down to his bed, hugged her tightly and took off her blouse. She added that she kept resisting but Kong held her hands tightly and raped her.

The girl told the incident to her mother, who brought her to Camp Sotero Cabahug to report the incident to the police. They were referred by the police to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for a medical examination.

The victim told police that in previous incidents when she massaged Kong, the latter would allegedly touch her private parts.

The girl’s mother said Kong had employed her daughter for about one and a half years. — Jasmin R. Uy/WAB   (THE FREEMAN)