Four ship crew charged for rape

CEBU, Philippines -Four employees of the M/V Calbayog of Palacio Shipping Lines were charged for rape before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

The alleged victim, a 23 year-old woman and resident of Greenhills, San Fernando, Cebu, appeared before the prosecutor’s office to file a complaint against licensed Second Mate Timoteo Sampayan, 32, from San Isidro, Northern Samar; Apprentice Engineer Aldin Albarando, 22, of Barangay Langub, Argao, Cebu; Apprentice Electrician Layman Degañon, 24, from Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte and Apprentice Electrician Alvin Nalda, 27, from San Miguel, Leyte.

Prosecutor Maria Therese Casiño did the inquest of the four respondents.

Casiño gave the respondents 15 days to file their counter-affidavit after they filed a waiver for detention.

In the affidavit of the complainant, she said on April 7, 2011 around 3 p.m. she boarded the M/V Calbayog of Palacio Shipping Lines at the pier of Calbayog City.

She said when she was at her assigned bunk number 170, Sampayan approached her and asked where she was from.She answered she was from Allen, Samar, and was visiting her boyfriend, an oiler on another vessel.

She said Sampayan said he knew a friend of his boyfriend and this was confirmed as they conversed.

Sampayan then asked her to have a drink with him and some others.She was hesitant at first but later agreed.

The victim said Sampayan brought her to his cabin as they were allegedly not allowed to drink beer anywhere else on board.

She said she felt scared when Sampayan keep on signaling to the apprentices to follow them into the cabin but Sampayan told her not to worry.

She said when they started to drink, she keep on excusing herself to go to the comfort room to spit out the beer.

She said at around 10:30 p.m. when they already consumed three or four bottles she asked to be allowed to go back to her deck but one of the apprentices turned off the light.

When she stood up, a “fair, chubby apprentice”, later identified as Degañon, pushed her down on the bed while the other apprentices held down her legs.

She said she keep on crying while the respondents undressed her and raped her despite her pleas.

Sampayan allegedly told her not to tell anyone what happened.

She also said after what the respondents did to her, her cash was missing.

On April 8 when the vessel arrived at the port of Cebu City she immediately disembarked and went to the Coast Guard Office where she reported the incident.

She said the coast guard personnel escorted her to locate the persons involved but the four just denied the allegation and instead laughed at her.

The Coast Guard later brought her to the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 who in turn brought her to the hospital for examination and then instructed her to report to the Waterfront Police Station.

The police then arrested the four suspects.(FREEMAN)