CHR-Negros Or. rescues 17-year-old girl

Members of the Commission on Human Rights-Negros Oriental, with the help of the police, on Friday rescued a 17-year-old girl who complained that she has been “repeatedly raped” by her father over the past 10 years.

CHR-Negros Oriental head Dr. Jess Cañete, disclosed that the girl is now in his custody and is being subjected to medicolegal examination in support of the filing of charges against her father.

The rescue of the girl and the arrest of the father at Barangay Basak in Zamboanguita town came after the CHR received information about the girl’s plight Friday morning from a tipster.

The CHR got the letter, written in a halfsize pad paper with the name of the victim and her signature. The girl was asking for help by saying: “Please malooy mo, tabangi ko ninyo, gi-rape kos akong papa before, unya karun kay mi attempt na pud siyag balik. Dili na nako makaya sigi ra kong kulatahon, cge ko ingnan nga patyon.”

Initial investigation disclosed of another attempt to rape her allegedly by her father on Thursday but she managed to flee with the help of a concerned citizen. The father had allegedly warned that he would kill her if she tell anybody about the “sexual abuses” against her. The girl’s mother and siblings also claimed to have no knowledge of it, said Cañete.

The rescue operation was then conducted. Tolentino said the plan was only to rescue the minor, but the father was in possession of an unlicensed firearm, so the arrest was made. Recovered from the house was a .357 revolver and live ammunition for a 12-gauge shotgun. The father is now detained by the provincial police pending the filing of charges against him.

According to Cañete, the girl was in traumatic condition while being brought to the hospital for a medical examination. He brought the girl to Dumaguete City late afternoon Friday for documentation and will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for custody.

In an interview, the father denied having raped his daughter, who is a first year high school student in one of the schools in the city, but admitted having slapped her when he discovered that she went with her boyfriend, stayed at his boarding house in Dumaguete, and comes home at dawn.

About the gun, the father said it was given to him as for self-defense, after he was shot at by a neighbor in the past. The victim’s mother said she is not aware of the accusations hurled against her husband because they work and slept together. But she confirmed, her daughter was caught by her father while at the boarding house of his boyfriend the other night.