Cordova's most wanted man falls

CEBU, Philippines - After ten years of evading the police, Cordova’s most wanted criminal has finally been arrested last Friday in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island.

Forty-year-old Geraldine Oquera was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest for rape issued by a judge in Lapu-lapu City early last year, about ten years after he reportedly raped and sexually abused the nieces of his wife.

Chief Insp. Noli Cernio, chief of Cordova Police Station, said they arrested the suspect in a barangay in Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island at 6 am last Friday.

Cernio said that apart from the standing warrant of arrest, the suspect was also charged for sexual abuse and acts of lasciviousness which he separately committed against the three nieces of his wife in Barangay Bangbang, Cordova.

According to the police chief, the girls, who are now in their teens, were still around 10 years old when they were separately abused by the suspect.

One of them was raped.

The police official said they received information a few days ago that Oquera was spotted in a barangay in Santa Fe. They proceeded to the area last Thursday but did not find the suspect.

Cernio said that they stayed in the area for two days and it was only last Saturday morning that they learned that the suspect is in another barangay of the same island.

The suspect has just finished fishing when policemen arrested him as he docked on the shore.

Oquera had been staying with his cousins in the place to evade authorities since last year.

Cernio said the suspect is the most wanted person in their municipality.

Tomorrow, the suspect will be presented to the court.

Contrary to the sexual abuse and acts of lasciviousness cases, Cernio said the rape case is non-bailable.     - (THE FREEMAN)