BUTUAN CITY – A man tagged as the fifth most wanted person in Northern Mindanao for allegedly raping the half-sister of his live-in partner was apprehended by the police on Monday.
Police Regional Office 10-Regional Public Information Office chief Police Major Joann G. Navarro said the 36-year-old suspect faces charges for rape and sexual assault.
No bail was recommended by the court for the suspect.
“He did not resist arrest when the warrant of arrest was served to him in Manticao, Misamis Oriental, on Monday, July 28,” Navarro said.
The suspect allegedly raped the 14-year-old victim who was living with her half-sister due to the distance of her family’s home from school.
The suspect, reportedly the live-in partner of the victim’s half-sister, allegedly began courting the victim through chat messages in November 2023.
The victim was first raped at 1 a.m. in December 2023 in her half-sister’s store.
The second incident took place in March 2024 in their residence, where the suspect showed the victim explicit videos and encouraged her to imitate them. The third and fourth incidents reportedly occurred in November and December 2024.
The victim mustered the courage and disclosed the abuses to her teacher last January. The teacher reported the matter to the police, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Navarro said the victim was initially afraid to come forward due to alleged threats made by the suspect.
The suspect is under the custody of Manticao Municipal Police Station (MPS) for proper disposition.