By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
THE mother of murder victim Nephi Loyola has sought government protection as she pursues the rape case she and her daughter filed against Pagatpat barangay chairman Achilles Jude Babaran, regional state prosecutor Jaime Umpa confirmed over the weekend.
Umoa revealed this even as Babaran’s lawyer hinted that the barangay chairman may surrender anytime soon.
Babaran has been ordered arrested by a regional court in connection with the two counts of rape the Loyolas filed against him early this year.
The younger Loyola was found murdered in a room of Sogo Hotel in Lapasan in July, the same day she was supposed to face prosecutors handling her rape complaint against Babaran.
Her mother Rizalinda said she feared for her life because Babaran has not been arrested yet.
She has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to place her under the Witness Protection Program.
“Sa dili madugay ma-appove natong iyang application para sa Witness Protection Program,” said Umpa.
Babaran’s lawyer Dale Bryan Mordeno said he has advised his client to surrender to authorities after Judge Jose Escobido of the Regional Trial Court Branch 37 issued an arrest warrant following the dismissal of their motion for judicial determination of probable cause.
Mordeno said he was making arrangements for the surrender of Babaran, adding that he was preparing to file a motion to convince the court to allow the barangay chairman to bail out.
Babaran has gone on leave as Pagatpat’s barangay chairman, Mordeno said.
In the complaint, the younger Loyola accused Babaran of raping her on two occasions when she was still 16 years old.
The alleged rape victim belonged to a family of typhoon Sendong survivors who relocated to Pagatpat after the 2011 calamity.
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