Police officers in two towns last week apprehended three men, including two senior citizens, in connection with separate rape cases filed against them before the Regional Trial Court.
In different operations conducted in a single day, the police teams netted a regional wanted person and two provincial wanted persons in Baras and San Miguel.
First to fall at 3:30 PM of Jan. 28, 2025 to joint elements of the Baras police station, 2nd Forward Platoon of the Catanduanes 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company and the Regional Intelligence Division-Regional Special Operations Unit (RID-RSOU) was 60-year-old widower Juanito Tiburcio Dayawon, also known as “Onit” and a fisherman from barangay Abihao, Baras.
The accused, listed as a Provincial Most Wanted Person, was arrested on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by RTC Branch 43 Assisting Judge Candice Guada Cresilda Cortes Almodovar-Tordilla, for the crime of Statutory Rape docketed under Criminal Case No. 11442 with no bail recommended.
Over two hours later at 6 PM in San Miguel town, personnel from the 1st PMFC led by PSSg Arvin Buere, together with officers from the town police, Provincial Intelligence Unit, Regional Intelligence Unit 5’s Provincial Intelligence Team, and RSOU, collared abaca stripper Agapito Tuazon Tianela Sr., 71, in Buhi.
Accused of raping his own granddaughter, the No. 7 ranked Regional MWP is expected to be in court for the hearing of Criminal Case No. 11490 for the crime of rape, with no bail recommended.
At 8:30 PM on the same evening in Boton, abaca stripper Tirso Borral Echano, 53, single, voluntarily surrendered to the San Miguel police upon learning that an arrest warrant had been issued for him by the same court for the crime of rape under Art. 266-A (1) in relation to Art. No. 266-B of the Revised Penal Code. He will be held without bail during his trial for the rape of his niece.
Of the 51 criminal cases raffled off at the RTC last week, only two did not involved sexual assault or violence against women and children.
Among the cases that automatically went to the Family Court were 14 counts of statutory rape, 10 counts of rape and 16 counts of acts of lasciviousness against Florante Vitalicio Bernacer; two counts od sexual assault against Edward Villaflor Pantaleon; two cases of violence against women and children against Glenn Tesorero Teope; a case of sexual abuse against Regalado Palaran Jr.; and another for rape against John Paul Evangelista Guerrero.