3 Rizal Park cops probed in sex case

Three Ermita policemen detailed at the Rizal Park detachment were ordered disarmed and placed under investigation yesterday after they were accused of sexually molesting a woman inside the detachment.

The suspects were identified as Senior Police Officer 2 Danilo Factor, duty desk officer; Police Officer 3 Roberto Bombita; and Police Officer 1 Reynaldo Ferrer.

In her complaint before the General Assignments Section of the Western Police District, the victim, 23, told probers she was strolling at the Rizal Park with her husband at about 11:00 p.m. last Monday when she decided to separate from him after a spat.

Beth told police that she was walking near the Finance Building when the three policemen aboard a police multi-cab van appeared. The three officers then arrested her for alleged vagrancy and made her board the van.

Inside, the victim saw another man and nine other women who were also arrested by the cops inside the park. They were then brought to the Rizal Park police community precinct where they were detained.

Beth told investigators that after 10 minutes in detention, the others were released after paying the policemen P100 each. When it was her turn to be released, she told the suspects that she had no money.

It was at this point that Ferrer allegedly took her out of the cell and brought her to an air-conditioned room inside the police detachment. Allegedly waiting inside the room were Bombita and Factor. The policemen allegedly told her that they only wanted her body and not her money.

Inside the room, Beth said she was forced to undress and was forced to lie on a bed. Her mouth was then allegedly gagged by the policemen with a handkerchief. The suspects then removed their upper garments and then held the victim’s arms and legs.

The victim said that the suspects were about to rape her when they found out that she was having her monthly menstruation.

The suspects, according to the victim, then decided to just kiss and caress her breasts and lick her body. According to the victim, the suspects molested her one after the other.

According to the victim, 35 minutes later, the suspects returned her to her cell. She was released at about 5:00 a.m. yesterday with the policemen allegedly threatening her not to tell anybody of the incident. The victim later met her husband in the park who accompanied her to the WPD headquarters.

Yesterday afternoon, the three policemen were disarmed at the office of WPD director Chief Superintendent Nicolas Pasinos. The suspects, who are now under the custody of the WPD General Assignments Section, denied the accusation against them. The suspects are now facing probe for alleged acts of lasciviousness and arbitrary detention.

Ermita Police Station commander Superintendent Manolo Martinez yesterday ordered the relief of Chief Inspector Melvin Mongcal, Rizal Park PCP commander, for command responsibility over the incident.

Mongcal, for his part, defended the suspects saying that it was impossible for the alleged sexual assault to have happened inside the detachment as the only air-conditioned room with a bed there was his personal room.

According to Mongcal, he was sleeping inside his locked room at the time the alleged sexual attack happened.

Mongcal and the other officers of the Rizal Park PCP also doubted the credibility of the victim’s statements saying there were too many inconsistencies.

Mongcal added that though they daily make patrols inside the Rizal Park for prostitutes and members of the dreaded "Ativan" robbery gang, his men could not arrest anybody for vagrancy as the park is considered a public place.