Six-year-old rape case hounds Congress bet in Caloocan

It may be a case of the past haunting the present, or just dirty politics. On Thursday, a woman surfaced to announce she will reopen the rape case she filed against Caloocan councilor and congressional candidate Dale Gonzalo Malapitan six years ago, when he was still a barangay captain and she was still a minor. The case was dismissed in 2011, according to the woman's lawyer, Trixie Cruz-Angeles, at a press briefing in Quezon City. In 2008, Malapitan, son of  Caloocan City Rep. Oscar Malapitan, and his now-deceased uncle were accused of raping the woman, then 16 years old, and her cousin, 14. Angeles said the two were raped after being apprehended by barangay officials for violating a curfew for minors. They were allegedly brought to the barangay hall, forced to drink liquor, and then raped. "Imbes na pangaralan ako o pagalitan o ikulong, pinainom ako ng alak. Pinaupo sa tabi nila. Sinabihan ako na sumunod lang sa utos ni kapitan," Angeles said, reading from the alleged victim's statement. "Dinala niya ako sa kwarto at pinapasok sa banyo. At duon ginahasa ako," she added. Angeles said after this, her client and her cousin were brought to a motel where they were raped again, this time by Malapitan's uncle. Politically motivated Malapitan, in an email to GMA News Online, denied the allegation, describing it as part of a demolition job against him by his political rivals. "Isang panibagong pag-atakeng personal ang ginagawa ngayon ng mga kalaban natin sa pulitika sa pamamagitan ng pagbuhay sa kasong matagal nang nadismis ng korte," he said. "Naniniwala kaming isa itong agresibong pagkilos ng mga karibal namin sa pulitika matapos nilang makita sa kanilang mga sariling survey na wala nang tiwala sa kanila ang mga mamamayan ng Caloocan City," Malapitan added. Angeles said her client wanted to reopen the case after she saw him campaigning in their barangay. Meanwhile, the cousin who was also allegedly raped can no longer be located. DSWD custody After the alleged rape incident, the alleged victims were put under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for three and a half years, Angeles said. She said her client was not informed of the details and updates of her case until it was dismissed. "Matapos ang tatlo't kalahating taon, bigla na lang akong sinabihan—dismissed na raw ang kaso ko," the victim's statement said. "Masama ang loob ko. Sa tatlo't kalahating taong iyon, wala akong naintindihan sa pangyayari. Ang alam ko lang, talo." Angeles, in an interview with GMA News Online after the press conference, said her client “only reached Grade Two, she had to rely on what people told her," Angeles said their camp will file a motion on Friday at the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 131 for the release of the victim's documents held by the DSWD. She said she would need to study the documents first before filing a motion to reopen the case. As of posting time, GMA News Online was still trying to get a comment from the DSWD. — KBK, GMA News