2 rookie policemen accused of raping female applicant

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa has sent an investigating team to look into the alleged rape of a female police applicant in the regional police director’s compound at Camp Fermin Lira in General Santos City a week ago.

In a statement, the public information office of the Central Mindanao police said the team will investigate the rape complaint against P01s Paul Untal and John Ripdos, both assigned to the Regional Mobile Group and detailed as security escorts of Chief Superintendent Fidel Cimatu, Central Mindanao police director.

A 22-year-old female police applicant from Matalam, North Cotabato filed the complaint against the two rookie policemen. The rape allegedly took place on the night of May 20.

The probe team is composed of Director Jaime Tagaca, director-general of the Internal Affairs Service (IAS); Senior Superintendent Mariel Magaway, of the Directorate for Intelligence; Senior Superintendent Edgar Danao, of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management; Senior Superintendent Oriel Bagais, of the IAS’ investigation division; and Chief Inspector Arlene Agtas of the law and order section of the Directorate for Personnel and Human Resource Management at Camp Crame.

Senior Inspector Alexander Sarabia, chief of the public information office of the Central Mindanao police, said Verzosa has instructed the probe team to immediately submit the results of its investigation.

Sarabia said Cimatu has placed the two accused policemen under preventive suspension, disarmed them of their service firearms and recalled their badges.

He said the two are now detained at police station 1 of General Santos City.

He said Untal was charged with rape and Ripdos with acts of lasciviousness before the city prosecutor’s office.

In a long-distance phone interview, Cimatu condemned the alleged rape, saying the two non-commissioned police officers “have brought shame to the PNP organization, stained our badge of honor and have ill-treated the woman’s dignity.”

Cimatu said he is now “on official leave” to give the probe team “a free hand” to conduct an “impartial” investigation. – With Non Alquitran and Cecille Suerte Felipe