Cops arrest 4 kids linked to gangape

By NITZ ARANCON, Correspondent

POLICE arrested four teenagers accused of gangaping an information technology student at a secluded area near a mall in Upper Carmen on Tuesday night.

Insp. Philip John Cariaga, deputy chief of the Carmen police, said the minors’ ages range from 13 to 17 years. This paper is withholding the suspects’ surnames because they are minors but not their first names. They were identified by the police as Yuri, 13, Alfred, 15, and cousins John-John and Carlo, both 17 years old.

Cariaga said the suspects were identified as the ones who took turns in abusing an 18-year old 2nd year student from Baungon, Bukidnon at around 9:30 pm Tuesday.

The victim, according to Cariaga, was with her boyfriend, a 17-year-old student of a public high school, when they were attacked by the suspects.

Cariaga said all the suspects had a drink too many when the alleged gangape took place.

“They came and snatched her away from the boyfriend,” he said.

He said the boyfriend ran off, and sought help of the police.

A policeman, PO3 Alfredo Navaja, responded, and guards from the nearby mall helped in looking for the IT student and the suspects.

Police said PO3 Navaja and guards caught the suspects abusing the student in the bushes at around 11 pm.

Navaja and the guards caught the four suspects, and the victim was rushed to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC).

Cariaga said the victim showed signs of being beaten up by the suspects before they took turns in raping her.

Cariaga said police would file a rape complaint against the suspects, and would leave matters in the hands of prosecutors.

One of the suspects, John-John, confessed to raping the 18-year-old student.

The youngest of the suspects, Yuri, denied raping the student but admitted that he was among those who held her while she was being abused.

“Wala man ko manglugos sa babayi, mitabang lang ko ug hawid,” he said.

The two other suspects made the same claim.