2025.3.6 SC gives weight to teen victim’s testimony vs man accused of touching her
MANILA — The Supreme Court ruled that youth and immaturity of victims are strong indicators of sincerity and truthfulness of their testimonies against perpetrators of unlawful acts.
In a decision promulgated on October 21, 2024, the 3rd Division affirmed the conviction of Resty Laconsay for lascivious conduct under Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
Laconsay was sentenced to imprisonment of 8 to 17 years and ordered to pay P165,000 in fines and damages.
“The court has consistently held that when the offended party is a young and immature girl, her version of what happened is generally given credence because of her relative vulnerability and the shame and embarrassment that may arise if the matter about which she testified were not true,” the court said in the decision penned by Associate Justice Henri Paul Inting.
The victim recounted during trial in the lower courts that when she was 14 years old, she was sleeping when Laconsay pulled down her blanket, touched her foot and caressed her leg up to her groin.
She told the court that she was able to see Laconsay’s face because of the light coming from her cellphone.
Her testimony was also corroborated by her sister who saw the incident.
Laconsay denied the allegations and asserted that he was elsewhere at the time of the crime.
The Supreme Court however rejected Laconsay’s denial and alibi, saying these cannot prevail over the clear testimonies and positive identification by the victim and her sister.
“The defense also failed to prove any ill motive on the part of AAA and BBB in testifying against petitioner,” the court said.
2025.3.6 MEKANIKO HULI SA RAPE SA PINSAN
HINDI nakapalag ang isang mekaniko nang madakip ng mga operatiba ng Substation 7 ng Pasig City Police Station, sa bisa ng warrant of arrest sa kasong panggagahasa, dakong alas-5 ng hapon sa Caruncho Avenue, Brgy. San Nicolas, Pasig City noong Marso 3, 2025.
Ayon sa ulat na nakarating kay PCol. Villamor Tuliao, district director ng Eastern Police District (EPD), mula kay PCol. Hendrix Mangaldan, chief of police ng Pasig City, kinilala ang suspek na si alyas “Renz,” 28, may asawa, at residente ng Brgy. Pinagbuhatan sa nasabing lungsod.
Batay sa imbestigasyon, nangyari ang panggagahasa sa isang 16-anyos na dalagita na pinsan mismo ng suspek noong Setyembre 7 at 30, 2018 at noong Agosto 25, 2019 sa Brgy. Pinagbuhatan.
Idinagdag pa sa ulat na hindi lang ginahasa kundi nakaranas din ng sexual violence ang biktima mula sa pinsan nitong si Renz na itinuturing na no. 3 most wanted person sa Pasig City at no. 2 naman sa listahan ng most wanted person ng EPD.
Matapos ang apat na taon na pananahimik, naglakas-loob ang biktima na sabihin sa mga kapamilya ang pang-aabuso sa kanya ng kanyang pinsan kung kaya agad itong isinuplong sa mga awtoridad na nagsagawa ng pinaigting na imbestigasyon at pagmamanman
Sa bisa ng warrant of arrest na inisyu ni Presiding Judge Elma Mendoza Rafallo-Lingan ng Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 159, ng Pasig City, inaresto ang suspek sa kasong paggagahasa sa ilalim ng Article 266-A ng Revised Penal Code, may kaugnayan sa Section 5 (A) ng R.A. 8369 at walang piyansang inrekomenda.
Bukod dito, kinasuhan ang suspek ng 8 counts para sa sexual assault sa ilalim ng Article 266-A ng Revised Penal Code may kaugnayan sa Section 5 (A) ng R.A. 8369 na may piyansang P200,000.
Ang suspek ay pansamantalang nakakulong sa custodial facility ng Pasig City Police Station habang hinihintay ang commitment order mula sa korteng may hawak ng kaso.
2025.3.6 Dalagitang 4 na taong nawala, natagpuang kalansay na sa isang boarding house
Kinumpirma ng mga awtoridad na ang pagkakakilanlan ng kalansay na nahukay sa septic tank ng isang boarding house ay mula sa 7 taong gulang na dalagitang naiulat na nawawala noong Marso 4, 2020.
Ayon sa ulat ng Brigada News PH noong Miyerkules, Marso 5, 2025, kamakailan lang nang makumpirma ng mga awtoridad ang pagkakakilanlan ng mga buto ng biktima na si Quinnie Grace Arong, matapos itong mahukay noong 2024.
Nauna umanong marekober ang mga buto ng dalagita na nasa loob ng isang sako at hinihinalang itinapon sa poso negro ng naturang boarding house noong Hulyo 14, 2024. Kasama sa mga nakuha ay ang ilan sa mga personal na gamit ng biktima katulad ng relo, damit, sapatos at ang paborito umano nitong libro. Nakuha rin ang isang taling umano’y posibleng ginamit laban sa biktima.
Patuloy umano ang pag-iimbestiga ng mga awtoridad upang mapagtibay ang kaso ng biktima, laban sa isang photographer na itinuturong suspek.
2025.3.5 Former drug convict slain in Antipolo City
LUCENA CITY — A former drug convict in Antipolo City, Rizal province, was shot and killed before midnight on Tuesday, March 4, police said.
The Region 4A police identified the victim as Regalado Catanyag Jr., 46, who was resting inside his house in Barangay Mambugan around 10:45 p.m. when the suspect, armed with a caliber .45 pistol, suddenly appeared and shot the victim in different parts of his body.
The gunman fled after the shooting. The victim was taken to the hospital but died during treatment.
The police were conducting further investigations to identify the gunman and establish the motive behind the killing.
The report said the victim was arrested on October 29, 2020, for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. It also said he was transferred to Antipolo City jail on May 12, 2022, but did not state why and when he was released.
2025.3.5 Police colonel held for sex raps
MANILA, Philippines — A police colonel wanted for alleged acts of lasciviousness was arrested in Quezon City yesterday.
He was apprehended by operatives of the Anonas police station 9 in Barangay Fairview.
The police official was arrested based on a warrant issued by the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 135 for acts of lasciviousness under Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code.
A bail of P36,000 was recommended for his temporary liberty.
The suspect’s alleged victim, a non-uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), filed a complaint against the suspect.
The identities of the police colonel and the victim were withheld.
In a nine-page resolution issued on Feb. 11, the Quezon City prosecutor’s office found sufficient evidence to indict the police official for acts of lasciviousness.
The victim said the police official touched her hands, thighs and private parts while she was in his car in June 2023.
She said the police official suggested they go to a motel, which she rejected.
She said the suspect even offered her P10,000 in exchange for having a relationship with him.
The prosecutor’s office dismissed the complaint filed against the suspect for sexual harassment for lack of evidence.
The police official, the victim and other PNP personnel had just attended a meeting in Manila before the incident happened.
According to the victim, the colonel asked her to ride with him. As the suspect has a higher rank in the PNP, she said she and her colleagues could not refuse.
BI arrests Chinese money launderer, initiates manhunt against Korean fraudster
MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported the arrest of a Chinese man tagged as a money launderer for illegal POGOs.
Wang Zhouyu, 35, was arrested along Roberts St. in Pasay City by operatives of the BI’s fugitive search unit last March 4.
He is considered an undesirable alien after the BI was informed by Chinese authorities that Wang has a standing warrant of arrest issued by the Qinhuangdao Public Security Bureau for Fraud in Violation of the Article 82 of the PRC Criminal Procedure Law dtd 18 February 2025.
Wang and his cohorts reportedly established a network that has been deeply involved in money laundering activities, and coordinates with other fraud groups based in mainland China in order to facilitate fund transfer service of their illegal revenues.
Foreign authorities have traced financial transactions amounting to CNY 19 million that are linked to 23 criminal cases. Wang is reported as a money launderer of illegal POGO operations and scam hubs in the country, assisting them in the illicit movement of funds. He has been detained and placed in the BI’s facility inside Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig pending his deportation.
Meanwhile, the BI said that it initiated a manhunt against a South Korean man wanted in his home country for fraud.
The man, identified as Na Ikhyeon, 28, is wanted in Korea for his involvement in a deceptive investments.
South Korean authorities said Na misled his compatriots by directing them to invest in non-existent accounts. He and his partners then withdrew the investments for their personal gain.
Na was previously arrested by the BI in May 31, 2023 and was held in the BI’s facility while awaiting his deportation.
However, his deportation was deferred pending the resolution of an estafa case filed by a Filipina against him at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
The complainant, an owner of a small jewelry business, said that Na consigned several jewelries as an agent, but failed to remit the full amount of sales despite several demands.
Na attended a hearing related to the said case on March 4, but was able to elude authorities using the court’s restroom.
BI Commissioner Joel Viado immediately ordered a manhunt against the suspect, who was able to flee despite the presence of his counsel.
“We are investigating if his counsel has knowledge of this seemingly pre-planned incident,” said Viado. “We have also assigned a special tracker team to locate him and again take custody,” he added.
Viado shared that the tracker team reported having solid leads against the suspect. He added that they are filing charges against those who may have possibly aided Na in the incident.
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