Five suspects who raped girl in Malabon arrested

Five of the six suspects, including a 14-year-old boy, who allegedly gang-raped a first year high school student, were arrested during a police operation Friday in Malabon.

Superintendent Ernesto Fojas, Malabon police chief, identified the suspects as Eric Gordo, 24, of Block 13, Lot 23, Phase 3, Area 3, Pampano st., Barangay Longos; Ryan Lardero, 20, student, of Block 14, Lot 125, Phase 3E-1, Barangay Longos; Rommel Sombrano, 19, of Block 10-G, Lot 3, Phase 3-1, Barangay Longos, and two minors whose identities are withheld.

Police investigator PO2 George de la Cruz said that the suspects allegedly sexually molested the 13-year-old victim in the house of one of the minors, who was her boyfriend, at Block 13-G, Lot 7, Phase 3E-1 in Barangay Longos at around 4 p.m. last Friday.

The boy reportedly lured the victim to their house where they engaged in a drinking session with the other suspects.

After the group consumed two bottles of gin, the victim reportedly felt dizzy and fell asleep, police said.

The suspects, De la Cruz said, took advantage of the girl’s drunkenness and took turns raping her.

When the girl recovered her senses, the suspects had already ravaged her, De la Cruz added.

Anxious to directly report her ordeal, the girl turned to a friend for help, who accompanied her to the police station.

Fojas immediately ordered a manhunt for the suspects that resulted in the arrest of five of them.

"The arrested suspects were positively identified by the victim as the ones who sexually abused her," De la Cruz said.

Charges are now being readied against the suspects while the other one who reportedly served as a lookout and remains at large, is being hunted by Fojas’ men. –Pete Laude and Jerry Botial