Court acquits Patiño of rape

CEBU, Philippines — The Regional Trial Court in Cebu City has acquitted lawyer Juril Patiño of the rape charge a minor filed against him in 2017.

In her 31-page decision promulgated on October 1, 2024, Judge Leah Geraldez junked the case against Patiño on the ground of “reasonable doubt.”

According to the court, the victim was mistaken about the day she was raped, a material component of her narration of events which, if only established beyond reasonable doubt, could have determined the guilt of the accused.

The court ruled that it is hard to believe that as the sole witness to the crime, not only was she vague about the day she was molested, she also mistook what the accused was wearing and the color of the car they were in when the alleged rape happened.

“But with all the evidence laid before the Court, there is no other conscientious choice but to uphold his innocence,” it said.

Patiño, who is also a radio broadcaster, was arrested by the operatives of National Bureau of Investigation on July 22, 2019 after a minor accused him of rape.

The 13-year-old complainant claimed the broadcaster raped her inside his vehicle on July 4, 2017.

Following his acquittal, Patiño posted on Facebook praising and thanking God as well as thanking his wife, Lilibeth, for staying by his side, his family, his lawyers, colleagues and friends who stood by him during the darkest moments of his life.

“As I said before nga I was totally innocent of the crime charged against me but because anaa ta sa kalibutan nga napuno sa mga judgmental people nga bisan gani kaila ug amigo pa nako but mao pay mukondena og unay kanako. Sakit man nga magtan-aw sa akong pamilya nga nasakitan at that time but ang ako ra gyung giingon nila nga adunay pamaagi ang Ginoo kun ngano nga nasulod ko sa maong sitwasyon. Giantos ko ang tanan nga mga kasakit apan nasayod ko ng ang Ginoo anaa gayuy plano niining tanan. Tuod man, human ko masulod sa prisohan for at least two months way back in 2019, nakit-an ug nailhan nako ang Ginoo didto mismo sulod sa prisohan and maoy mas nakapalig-on sa akong pagtoo Kaniya,” said Patiño, who became a Born Again Christian while inside the jail facility.

Patiño added that he harbors no hard feelings against all those behind the filing of the case against him.

“If sa ako lang, ako nalang na gisalig sa Ginoo. Besides, unsa man sad akong makuha atong pamilya. Then until now lisod ang pagpinpoint sa mga behind ato gud,” Patiño told The Freeman. – FPL (CEBU NEWS)