Inquirer Headlines / Metro  |
By Miko MorelosMANILA, Philippines—Since her harrowing ordeal on New Year’s Eve, allegedly in the hands of a Manila police officer who is now the object of a manhunt, “Jasmine” (not her real name) feels the need to be awake all the time. She fears that if she falls asleep, she would not know what might happen to her next. “I‘d never know what hit me. I still fear for myself,” she told the Inquirer in an interview at a safe house where a round-the-clock security detail was sent to keep watch over her by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), which has kept her in their custody. Jasmine was allegedly raped by PO3 Antonio Bautista Jr. on December 31 last year inside the Manila Police District headquarters. He is also accused of taking P4,000 from the victim. The officer has been missing since the incident, and the Manila Police District (MPD) and the city government are turning to the public to help locate him. “We encourage the public to give us any information they may have on his whereabouts,” said MPD director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rong. Also under the custody of the NCRPO is the victim’s live-in partner “John,” who has brought Jasmine’s case to the attention of Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda Acosta on Wednesday. The Office will represent Jasmine in the legal proceedings, the Inquirer learned. Life has been tough for the Cebuano couple who make a living by hawking a variety of items from hand towels to leather belts and fruits in Manila. Her ordeal only made things worse, Jasmine said. She cannot walk at length after undergoing surgery earlier. In May, she lost her third child after an ectopic pregnancy. The couple’s two children live in Cebu. For her safety, she has been restricted to quarters until authorities track down and arrest Bautista. “On the average, I sleep for two hours in the night. Sudden movements rouse me from sleep,” she said. She lies awake in her room most of the day, watching television or listening to music, but she pointed out that these do not keep her at peace with herself. “Bautista might send someone to harm me,” she said matter-of-factly. Police Director Nicanor Bartolome said he sympathized with the victim. “I understand the ordeal that she went through, that’s why I have ordered our personnel to schedule counseling sessions to help her overcome the trauma,” Bartolome said. The NCRPO likewise provided John with some capital and a wooden pushcart so he could restore some sense of normalcy in their lives, the official said. “They asked us for this because they did not want to depend too much on what we were providing them,” the NCRPO chief continued. The MPD has filed grave misconduct charges against Bautista, said MPD Director Chief Supt. Robearto Rongavilla, who admitted that the policeman’s actuations have tainted the image of the city’s police force, often referred to as Manila’s Finest. Tracker teams have been dispatched to Manila, Quezon City and the neighboring provinces of Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite in search of the suspect. With a report from Jaymee Gamil |
