Marikina cult leader charged with rape

A cult leader accused of making sex slaves out of his teenage followers was charged yesterday with two counts of rape and illegal detention before the Marikina City prosecutor’s office.

Charged was Antonio Faelnar alias Almendo Aram, 55, married, a native of Davao del Sur and a resident of Marikina Heights, Marikina City.

"Non-bailable ang kaso at malakas ang ebidensya namin sa kanya kaya siguradong mabubulok siya sa kulungan," said SPO4 Nenita Abanes of the Marikina Police Women and Children’s Office.

Marikina police chief Sotero Ramos said one rape charge against the cult leader was upgraded to statutory rape after the 13-year-old victim admitted to them that she had been raped since she was 10 years old.

Ramos led a team that rescued 11 girls from Faelnar’s "safehouse" last Friday.

The suspect is the leader of the Global Empire Covenant Divine Government. He is now detained at the Marikina police jail.

The cult leader was nabbed last Friday at his residence after the Marikina police discovered that the suspect illegally detained her "servants," mostly young girls who ended up as sex slaves of the cult "lord."

"Ang katawan ninyo ay pag-aari ng panginoon. Kaya kusang loob ninyong ibigay ang katawan nyo sa panginoon. Ako ang inyong panginoon," Faelnar allegedly told his "servants" whenever he wanted to have sex with them.

A 13-year-old girl admitted to investigators that she was raped by her "lord" when she was 10 years old.

"Pinapalo daw sila ng yantok kapag hindi sila sumususod," Ramos said.

Two girls (13 and 15) claimed they were called one at a time at night by the suspect. They were ordered to give him a massage.

"Habang nagmamasahe po kami nag le-lecture po siya at lagi niyang sinasabi sa amin na dapat iaalay namin ang aming mga katawan sa panginoon," said one of the girls.

Ramos said the girls were recruited in the province and were promised good jobs in Metro Manila.

When they arrived at the suspect’s house in Marikina, they were forced to join the cult.