PNP probes cop instructor in alleged Baguio rape case

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday said it is investigating a police training instructor assigned to the Cordillera Administrative Region over the alleged rape of a female trainee.

In a statement, PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the 41-year-old instructor has been placed under restrictive custody, disarmed, and transferred to the PNP training headquarters in Laguna.

“We take this allegation with utmost seriousness. The accused is now under restrictive custody and will face both criminal and administrative proceedings without delay or favor,” Nartatez said.

Initial investigation showed that the 23-year-old complainant alleged she was sexually assaulted on January 20 and February 8 inside the Cordillera Administrative Region Training Center in Baguio City.

She filed a complaint on April 13, stating that she had been summoned by the instructor to his barracks on both occasions, where the alleged assaults took place.

She has since executed a sworn statement and is undergoing psychological evaluation.

Nartatez said the case will be handled with urgency and transparency, particularly in the wake of a separate hazing incident at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA).

More than 20 fourth-class cadets were injured in the hazing incident that allegedly occurred on April 3.

The victims reportedly sustained burns and other injuries after being exposed to a mixture of drain cleaner and muriatic acid, according to the PNP.

Initial findings showed the hazing stemmed from an internal issue involving a cadet who intended to resign, with underclassmen allegedly punished after being blamed for the situation.—MCG, GMA News