Caloocan carpenter gets life term for raping child

The Caloocan City Regional Trial Court sentenced yesterday a carpenter to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of raping his deceased wife's 14-year-old godchild in Caloocan City three years ago.

Convicted of rape charges by Judge Silvestre Bello Jr. was accused Antonio Basarte, widower and resident of Camarin, Caloocan City.

Bello also ordered the accused to pay the victim P125,000 in damages.

Court records showed the victim was raped by Basarte on six separate occasions. The victim said the first rape took place sometime in May 1996 when she went to the accused's house upon the invitation of Basarte, who said he wanted to give her money.

Inside his house, the victim said the accused raped her at knifepoint and afterwards threatened her not to tell anybody of the incident or he would kill her.

The victim said the accused ordered her to come back the next day and was threatened that she and her parents would be killed by the accused if she refused. The victim said the last rape took place at around 7 p.m. of Sept. 14, 1996 when she and the accused met along a street near their house.

Basarte denied the allegations of the victim saying that it was his habit of giving her money as he considered her his "goddaughter."

However, Basarte said he did not lay his hands on the victim. The accused said the victim would often -- almost daily -- go to his house to ask for money before going to school.

In his six-page decision, Bello ruled that the victim's detailed and forthright testimony was credible while expressing doubts on Basarte's.