By Jeffrey Damicog
Frankie Pangilinan, the daughter of Sen. Francis Pangilinan and actress Sharon Cuneta, may have to wait until next week, or until the present lockdown at the Department of Justice (DOJ) is lifted, if she intends to file a complaint before the DOJ against the person who threatened her with rape.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra
(TOTO LOZANO / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“If they wish to file it directly with the DOJ, they may do so next week after the DOJ COVID lockdown,” said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.
Since Frankie is already 19-years-old, the secretary advised “she should be the one to sign the complaint and attest to it under oath.”
“It’s not required that the complainant personally go to the prosecutor’s office (or to the) DOJ,” he said.
“Her lawyer may do it for her, provided the complaint has been duly sworn to by the complainant,” he added.
“It is preferable, though, that the complainant personally appear before the prosecutor,” the secretary pointed out.
The case stemmed from the social media post of a certain Sonny Alcos who posted in social media rape threat against Frankie to show his opposition to her stance that women should not be told what the wear to prevent them from getting raped.
Her mother Sharon has already vowed to run after the person who made the threat.
Meanwhile, Guevarra has placed the DOJ compound in Manila under lockdown from June 18 up to 28 after five personnel tested positive for COVID-19 in both rapid antibody tests and the confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.