A 73-year-old farmer who was wanted for allegedly raping a 59-year-old person with disability (PWD) was arrested in San Fernando, Bukidnon.
According to the Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao (PRO-10), the suspect identified as alias “Fred” was arrested by virtue of a warrant for statutory rape with no bail recommended.
The suspect was tagged as number three most wanted person in the region.
Police said the victim reportedly has a developmental delay and although able to speak, the victim reportedly has noticeable speech impairment.
PRO-10 added that the alleged abuse happened in August 2024 when the suspect reportedly went to the victim’s house.
The victim’s niece saw the suspect and the victim together in a suspicious situation.
Upon confrontation, the suspect claimed he merely asked the victim to buy medicine.
The niece informed her father, the victim’s brother, who then helped in reporting the incident to the police three days later.
The suspect is now detained.
“This arrest is a testament to our unwavering commitment to bring justice to victims and ensure that those who commit heinous crimes are held accountable. I commend the tracker team of San Fernando MPS for their relentless pursuit of justice,” PRO-10 Director, Brigadier General Rolindo Suguilon, said.
