DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/28 February) – A warrant of arrest has been issued for two members of the influential Mangudadatu clan who are suspects in the rape of a nursing student in a dormitory here in August last year.
Judge Emmanuel Carpio of the Regional Trial Court Branch 16 said that he issued the warrant for Datu Naga Mitra Mangudadatu and his cousin identified only as alias Puti.
Carpio said he listed the place where the suspects stayed here as their address, although they were known to be residents of Tamnag, Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat.
Last week, Prosecutor Lady Zuris Zozobrado charged the two for two counts of rape after they failed to submit their counter-affidavit to the complaint filed by “Victoria” (not her real name).
Based on Zozobrado’s resolution, the subpoena dated Oct. 18 was returned to her office after the accused could not be located anymore.
Datu Naga is said to be a son of Sultan Kudarat representative Pacung Pax Mangudadatu.
The suspects’ bodyguards namely Erven P. Otadoy, Ryan March C. Tadio and alias Ramba and another unidentified person were excluded from the case for insufficient evidence.
In an affidavit she submitted on October 7 to the City Prosecutor’s Office, Victoria said she was drinking with two dormitory helpers evening of July 31 last year. After three hours, Ramba invited them for more drinks and sent one of the helpers to buy a bottle of beer.
After finishing the beer in 15 minutes, Naga asked them to drink with his group at his room for the canteen was too hot. The two accused lived in the same dormitory.
Victoria claimed that after drinking a few shots out of respect for the invitation, Naga ordered one of the helpers to get some glasses. She (Victoria) then told Naga she was leaving as she sensed something bad, but he ordered his bodyguards to leave the room and turn off the light.
“Naga ordered his four bodyguards to leave the room… then he turned off the light over my protest… then I saw one of his bodyguards outside from the glass wall, roll down the aluminum-steel blind, after which, Naga immediately and forcefully dragged me to his bed” and succeeded in raping her, “Victoria” recalled.
Accompanied by friends, the victim went to the police on August 2 to report the incident. But the police advised them to secure a medical certificate and said the suspects could no longer be arrested without warrant as the prescription period had lapsed. (MindaNews)