Man gets death for parlor rape

A man accused of robbing a beauty parlor and raping one of its beauticians in Malate, Manila eight years ago, was sentenced to death yesterday while his four companions were meted 10-years imprisonment.

Manila Judge Lucia Purungganan of Regional Trial Court Branch 54 found the accused Carlito Malana, his brother Iniego Malana, Alfredo Reyes, Reynaldo Hamot and Gil Neri guilty of robbery with double rape charges.

Another parlor worker was allegedly raped, which the prosecution failed to prove.

In a 21-page decision, Purugganan ordered Iniego, Reyes, Hamot and Neri to be jailed for 10 years and pay P150,000 each for actual damages.

Court records showed that on April 2, 1996, the accused pretended to be customers and entered Sally’s Barber Shop and Beauty Parlor.

Shortly after taking the shop’s earnings, Carlito spotted one of the beauticians who was wrapped in a towel after just taking a bath. The accused brought the woman to one of the rooms and raped her.

Some 15 minutes later, the group left carrying the loot, which was estimated to about P307,000 in cash and jewelry.

All the accused denied the charges.

But Purugganan gave greater weight to the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, who were described to be "credible and convincing as true."

Although the judge pointed out some inconsistencies in the testimonies of the rape victim, "The same are not substantial enough to impair their credibility or destroy the integrity of their testimonies."