13 men charged for raping teenager

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga – Police filed charges against 13 men who allegedly gang-raped an 18-year-old woman during a birthday party in Angeles City last April 7.

In a report, Superintendent Edilberto Castillo, officer-in-charge of the Angeles City police, said the suspects were charged with 26 counts of rape and sexual abuse.

Castillo said the victim did not disclose her ordeal to her family until she had mustered enough courage.

The victim identified nine of the suspects as a certain Harvey, Carlo, Rogie, Ruben, Michael, Lester, Nico, George, and Jay, all residents of Malabanias, Balibago, Angeles City.

In her sworn statement to the police, the victim said she met Harvey on the morning of April 7 at a swimming pool where she and her friends went. 

Harvey, she said, befriended her and asked for her cell phone number. In good faith, she gave the number of her teenage uncle, a certain Max.

That night, Harvey contacted her through her uncle’s cell phone and asked her and her uncle to attend his birthday party in his house in Malabanias.

There were 12 men having alcoholic drinks in the party. Unknown to the victim and her uncle their drinks were laced with Ativan, and soon they felt dizzy.

Harvey then allegedly ordered his friends to go outside the house and he started molesting the victim.

Before dawn, the victim was awakened as water was being poured on her private parts. She was then dragged into an abandoned house in front of Harvey’s where the others took turns molesting her.