Rape charges filed vs ‘Ang Dating Daan’ head

The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed yesterday two counts of rape with the Macabebe, Pampanga regional trial court against Ang Dating Daan leader Eliseo "Ely" Soriano for allegedly sodomizing a former male leader of the religious sect on two occasions.

Acting Pampanga provincial prosecutor Jaime Umpa recommended a bail of P200,000 for each count for the temporary liberty of Soriano.

The charges stemmed from the complaint of Daniel Veridiano, former assistant general secretary of the sect.

As assistant general secretary, Veridiano said he was entrusted with the important documents of Ang Dating Daan and the personal life of Soriano.

In 1998, he said Soriano asked him to join him in Apalit, Pampanga.

At about 1:30 p.m. of May 17, 2000, Veridiano alleged that Soriano asked him to go to his room, and there, told him to wipe and massage his body and fondle his private parts.

Shortly after that, Veridiano alleged that Soriano asked him to lie down and then inserted his organ between his thighs.

Out of fear, Veridiano claimed he did not resist Soriano’s moves which allegedly ended in sodomy.

Veridiano said the same situation was repeated on June 8, 2001.

Veridiano alleged that he saw Soriano doing the same thing to other workers of Ang Dating Daan.

"During his stint with Ang Dating Daan, he witnessed how sexually perverted the respondent was. He had no inhibitions at all showing to others what he was doing…," Umpa said.

Veridiano said he acceded to everything that Soriano allegedly ordered him to do because he believed that Soriano was "God’s messenger" whose orders must be obeyed.

He said he then believed that Soriano’s alleged lascivious acts were manifestations of his love for him and his fellow Ang Dating Daan members.

"He (Veridiano) mustered the courage to expose the sexual abuses committed against him by the respondent now that he is already free from his clout and is no longer under his influence," Umpa said.

In his counter-affidavit, Soriano, however, dismissed Veridiano’s allegations as "fabricated, baseless and malicious."

Soriano said Veridiano never became an assistant secretary-general of his group.

He said Veridiano betrayed his trust when he allegedly misappropriated the funds of Ang Dating Daan to benefit himself.

Soriano also accused Veridiano of having committed multiple counts of rape against members of Ang Dating Daan.

He claimed that Veridiano filed the rape case against him to retaliate for his expulsion from Ang Dating Daan in August last year.

On the day the first alleged rape happened, Soriano said he went to the Biological Health Center in Malate, Manila to undergo "chelation therapy" which lasted for three and a half hours.

Soriano said the alleged second rape on June 8, 2001 was another blatant lie, claiming that he and a certain Rico Fernandez were at the Sushimoto Japanese restaurant in Quezon City that day to meet with one Aida Briones.