Panamanian rape suspect leaves PHL

A Panamanian "diplomat" accused of raping a 19-year-old Filipina left the country Friday night, amid calls in the Philippines for an investigation into the incident. Erick Bairnals Shcks boarded a KLM flight for Amsterdam Friday evening, with immigration officers not questioning the departure, radio dzBB reported early Saturday. The dzBB report quoted Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials as saying they had no order to stop Shcks from leaving the country. Shcks was not even included in the Philippine government's watch list, the dzBB report also quoted the BI official as saying. Shcks is a technical officer of the Panama Maritime Authority. He was arrested over a rape complaint last April 24, but was released from police custody after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) granted him immunity. The incident outraged Senate majority leader Vicente Sotto III, who pushed a Senate inquiry into the matter. — LBG, GMA News