DOJ guard on rape case against him “It was a nightmare”

CEBU, Philippines - After the rape complaint against him was recently dismissed by the court, a police marshal of the Witness Protection Program (WPP) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) was emotional in an interview with The Freeman.

Romelo Pabroa, 42, of Carcar City said he was greatly relieved after receiving the resolution on the dismissal of the case against him. 

Pabroa was accused of raping a 21-year old girl from Basak, Lapu-Lapu City who was under the WPP.

Acting City Prosecutor Felixberto Geromo on September 27, 2013 issued a resolution junking the complaint of rape filed against Pabroa.

"It was a nightmare. I can't sleep right after I received the suspension order just because of the accusation of a 21-year old girl. My wife upon hearing it, she suffered from a heart attack, my children were bullied in school," he recalled, adding how he felt helpless especially with “below the belt commentaries.”

Even before the complaint was filed, the DOJ suspended Pabroa for three months.  The suspension was shortened though to a month after he was ordered to report back due to the lack of personnel.

After receiving the resolution backing his innocence, he said he chose to personally inform his family with the resolution in hand.

When asked if he will file a counter-charge against the complainant, Pabroa said he is still uncertain as of the moment.

The complainant was placed under the WPP last December 6, 2012 after receiving numerous death threats. She was reportedly a victim of gang rape and still has her case pending before the court in Lapu-Lapu city.

In her complaint, the 21-year old girl alleged that Pabroa sexually abused her 36 times while she was staying at the safe house in Banawa, Cebu City. But Pabroa denied the accusations in his counter-affidavit. 

In the court resolution dismissing the case, it included a psychiatric evaluation report of Dr. Renato Obra on the complainant.  

Obra concluded that the complainant suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from stressors outside of the safe house, nymphomania or hypersexuality and malingering.

He recommended for the complainant to submit herself for further medical and psychological work up at the Pink Room of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

 "Yes, we all listened to complainant's story and hear her cry for justice. But the remedy lies not with us but somewhere. In the Psychiatric Evaluation Report of Dr. Renato Obra, he recommended on what has to be done with (her). It should be done without delay, otherwise, (she) will become a waste forever," the resolution states.

Prosecutor Llena Ipong-Avila, head of WPP, told The FREEMAN that from the start she was confident that the complaint will be dismissed.

She said that in their investigation, Pabroa passed the lie detector test, contradicting the complaint of rape against him. — (FREEMAN)