Injured	Killed
1	0

Date: 30 July 2013
Source: Pilipino Star Ngayon

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Justice has placed under three months preventive suspension one of its marshals who was accused of raping a witness under its protective custody.

Assistant City Prosecutor Llena Ipong-Avila, who heads the DOJ’s Witness Protection Program (DOJ-WPP) in Cebu, said that the suspect who is identified only by his code name “Billy” has been served with the suspension order since Friday.

Billy was accused of raping a 21-year-old woman, currently under the DOJ’s protective custody, in various occasions from January to March 2013. The victim has been under the Witness Protection Program since last year.

The victim was also a gang-rape victim in Lapu-Lapu. She got raped in February 2012 by eight people. Only two of the suspects have been arrested so far and the case is now pending before the Regional Trial Court in Lapu-Lapu City.

Avila said she immediately placed Billy under preventive suspension on the same day the victim filed a complaint before the Guadalupe Police Station.

“As part of his suspension he was disarmed and barred from rendering his official duty as a marshal. He was not allowed to go to the safe house,” Avila said.

She said they have already conducted an internal investigation but refused to disclose their findings.

 “To be fair let the independent body to investigate the alleged rape. Now (yesterday) I am sending a letter to Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Mariano Natu-el Jr. requesting to conduct a thorough investigation and to have an ocular inspection in the area,” she said.

Avila said she and the two other state prosecutors, in-charge of the witness protection program, Graime Elmido and Lolita Lumanta, are willing to undergo a polygraph test as well as their marshals if necessary.

The other marshals are also open for any investigation.

Avila denied reports that she tried to persuade the complainant not to report the alleged rape so as not to destroy the relationship of the suspect with his family.

 “We feel safer nga naa siya sa gawas. If naa mi gitagoan di namo siya pagawson. We can do all means pero wala,” Avila said.

The victim was released from the DOJ’s custody last Thursday evening after she signed a waiver. FPL (FREEMAN)