THE women’s rights advocate Gabriela yesterday said it would help push the rape and child abuse cases against Pagatpat barangay chairman Achilles Jude Babaran despite the murder of the complainant in a Lapasan hotel last week.
Rhodora Bulosan, Gabriela spokesperson for northern Mindanao, said the group would help the family of Nena (not her real name) in pursuing the complaints filed before the City Prosecutor’s Office and the Office of the Ombudsman.
Aside from rape and child abuse, Nena had filed a complaint for violation of the law on violence against women and children in connection with her alleged rape in 2015. The cases were only this summer.
“Dili mahimo nga dili ma-prosecute si Kapitan Babaran,” said Bulosan.
She noted that Nena’s mother Rizalina also stood as a complainant against the barangay chairman.
“Na-a pa man ang inahan sa biktima, so mahimo pa mga ipadayon ang maong kaso,” she said.
In a news conference last week, Babaran strongly denied accusations that he abused Nena. He said the murder victim’s mother had an ax to grind against him because he did not support her bid to become president of a village association.
Babaran’s lawyer Dale Bryan Mordeno said he would file a motion to dismiss the complaint filed with the City Prosecutor’s Office because there was no evidence against his client.
Besides, Mordeno said, there was no witness against Babaran.
“Dili man mahimo nga ang inahan sa biktma maoy motisdtigos kay basta rape gani, ang kasagaran nga tistigos ana kadto ra gyung biktima,” Mordeno said. (nitz arancon)
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