Babaran gets double life sentence

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .

ACHILLES Jude Babaran, the former barangay chairman of Pagatpat who was accused of rape by a young woman, was convicted by a regional court and slapped with a double life imprisonment sentence yesterday. But the victim did not live to see the day of judgment — she was brutally killed inside a motel in Lapasan here in 2016, months after she filed the case

With the verdict of Judge Jose Escobido of the 38th branch of the Regional Trial Court were a life imprisonment sentence against Babaran for each of the two counts of rape.

Escobido also ordered Babaran to indemnify the victim’s family and pay them P450 thousand for their loss.

Escobido convicted Babaran for the rape of 15-year-old Nephi Loyola, a youth leader in Barangay Pagatpat, on June 19, 2015 and Sept. 22, 2015.

In 2016, the Loyola family went public with their accusations against Babaran and consented that the victim’s name be revealed. This came after the rape victim was found brutally killed inside a toilet of Sogo motel in Barangay Lapasan past midnight on July 12, 2016. Her head was battered and wrapped with plastic.

Police did not rule out the possibility that the teenager was marked for death and a hired killer was behind her brutal killing.

Regional state prosecutor Merlyn Uy hailed Judge Escobido’s decision, saying that prosecutors established the case despite the absence of the victim.

Uy said prosecutors relied much on the testimony of the victim’s mother Rizalinda Loyola who subsequently opted to get paid by Babaran and withdraw.

She said the case was further strengthened after Babaran gave the mother P250 thousand so her family would drop the case against the former barangay chairman.

While the mother withdrew, Uy said, “Wala hatagig gibug-aton sa judge ang pag-atras sa inahan sa biktima kay nasulti na man niya tanan sa korte, sa wala pa siya bayri sa akosado.”

Uy said Escobido also rejected the testimonies of Babaran’s witnesses because all they did was to discredit and smear the reputation of the victim who could no longer defend herself because she was murdered.

“Kay tu-a na man siya six feet below the ground, unsa-on pa niya pag-defend ang iyang kaugalingon?” Uy asked rhetorically.

Babaran may appeal the decision of the judge within 15 days.

“Either mag-file silag motion for reconsideration or whatever remedy ilang buhaton,” Uy said.

Babaran’s lawyer Dale Bryan Mordeno said he was preparing  to file a motion for  reconsideration on behalf of his client. He said they were preparing to elevate the case to a higher court.

In the meantime, Babaran would remain locked up at the city jail in Lumbia.

Two years after Loyola’s murder, police have yet to identify her killer. Incidentally, she was found dead on the day she was supposed to face a prosecutor tasked to handle her case against Babaran.

Feeling alluded to, Babaran had strongly denied that he had anything to do with Loyola’s murder even as he accused the victim’s family of a villification campaign against him because of Pagatpat politics.