Ely Soriano posts bail in rape case

Two years after a warrant was issued for his arrest, evangelist Eliseo Soriano posted P240,000 bail before a Manila court yesterday for two counts of rape filed against him by his former aide.

At around 11 a.m. yesterday, a certain Rolando Guevarra of Sta. Mesa, Manila reportedly paid the P240,000 bond and another P500 to cover other fees at Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26, under Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr., the assigned duty judge for the day.

Pampilo issued a one-page release order for Soriano, who was charged with the crime of rape under Article 266-A of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Republic Act 8353, which expands the definition of rape.

Daniel Veridiano, who said he used to work under Soriano, accused the head of the Church of God International, better known as Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path), of raping him on May 17, 2000 and on June 8, 2001 in Apalit, Pampanga. He also said Soriano raped other ADD workers.

Veridiano said he obeyed Soriano because he believed the evangelist was God’s messenger and must be obeyed.

Soriano denied Veridiano’s claim, saying that the complainant filed the charges because he was expelled from the ADD in 2005.

Soriano said he was somewhere else on the dates Veridiano mentioned, and accused Veridiano of raping other members of the ADD.

Questionable process

However, a Manila police official questioned the process by which Soriano managed to gain provisional liberty.

A policeman assigned to foot patrol at the Pandacan police station is in hot water after he reportedly personally facilitated Soriano’s release order.

An irate Superintendent Abad Osit, chief of the Pandacan police station, ordered Police Officer 3 Jun Gumaru to explain why he should not be held accountable for violating the standard operation procedure (SOP) for the custody of fugitives.

Osit said he only learned of Soriano’s alleged surrender from the media.

“I was not informed that (Gumaru) has in his custody the person of Soriano. Gumaru acted on his own,” Osit told The STAR in a phone interview.

He said his investigation showed that a court bail facilitator called up Gumaru Friday and asked him to take Soriano into custody.

Gumaru, who is assigned to man the Zamora, Pandacan police outpost, did not inform his commander or any of his superiors of having Soriano in custody, Osit said. A person with a pending warrant of arrest should seek custody with a police authority before he could post bail.

“There is a clear violation of the police SOP in the custody of a wanted person, with his failure to inform his superior. He acted on his own, maybe for a consideration,” Osit said.

He also learned that Gumaru even received the release order for Soriano.

Gumaru, a former Pandacan station jailer, was relieved from his post for “poor performance” three months ago, according to Osit.

When asked why Soriano was allowed to post bail for rape, Osit said he cannot comment since he has no knowledge of Soriano’s case.