Man gets life for raping, beating teen

MANILA, Philippines - A Parañaque City judge sentenced a 23-year-old man to life in prison for raping and beating up a third year high school student and her friend during a party in 2010.

According to Judge Rolando How of Regional Trial Court Branch 257, Christian Castillo Sun, then 19, raped a friend’s drunk cousin, identified only as Irene, and her companion, Harriet, on Oct. 6 that year.

Irene filed rape charges and was represented by lawyer Eleazar Calasan and Prosecutor Leonardo Rodriguez Jr. Harriet declined to file charges but testified in court.

According to court records, Irene and Harriet were walking past Sun’s house on their way home when a friend of Sun invited them to the birthday party of Sun’s brother.

Sun kept forcing the girls to drink and had them sleep in a room.

Irene said she was asleep beside Harriet when Sun grabbed her and beat her when she tried to resist her advances. He raped her when she lost consciousness.

Irene said when she woke up, she found that her attack came minutes after Sun raped Harriet, who was also drunk.

Sun and his parents denied the girls’ allegations. How noted that Sun’s parents hid him from the police while Sun’s mother tried but failed to convince Irene to accept  P30,000 to drop the charges.