A preliminary hearing on the rape and acts of lasciviousness charges filed against a son and brother of Caloocan City Rep. Oscar Malapitan and at least six other men has been set on May 15.
“We are now starting to do our subpoenas to the persons involved for the case folder landed on my table only this morning,” Caloocan City assistant prosecutor Darwin Canete told The STAR yesterday.
Formal charges against the congressman’s son Dale Gonzalo Malapitan, alias “Along,” 26, chairman of Barangay 137; his brother Mariano Malapitan alias “Mayor,” and barangay watchmen Joselito Lim, Roderick Antonio and Danilo Bautista, and barangay councilman Pedro Tolentino, “Larry,” “Michael” and several John Does were filed in Canete’s office last April 28.
The case was raffled off to 22 Caloocan City prosecutors last week, but Canete drew the case again. “Maybe I was just a lucky guy,” he said in jest but assured both parties that he would “strictly observe fairness and balance view of the law” in handling the case.
During the preliminary hearing, Canete said, he will ask the accused to submit their counter-affidavits.
The suspects are accused of raping two girls, aged 14 and 16, on April 12 in the barangay hall of Barangay 137 and in a nearby motel.
The barangay watchmen, police said, arrested the girls for violating a curfew for minors.
The congressman claimed the charges were raised by a political opponent, but refused to name names. Residents said Malapitan was alluding to Caloocan Mayor Enrico Echiverri, his known political rival.