One of the threesuspectsin the rape and robbery of a German national in Bacolod City in September last year was arrested by the City Police’s Intelligence branch at his residence in Brgy. Banago at around 5 p.m. yesterday.

City Police’s Warrant and Subpoena Section chief, Senior Insp. Charles Gever, identified the one arrested asHenry Bañez, 21, “alias J.R.”, of Purok Tinagong Paraiso, Brgy. Banago.

Gever said Bañez was apprehended on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 42 Judge Fernando Elumba, who denied him bail.

The victim, a volunteer of a non-government organization, said she was with two male foreigners and they were sleeping when the suspects barged into their temporary residence and took turns in raping her.

She added that the suspects also took her necklace and her cellular phone and fled with their companions.

Bañez and his companions Joemar Agdana, 18, and Crisinciano Catague, 23, surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on October 12 last year and admitted the crime.

However, they retracted their statements a day after, claiming that the CIDG policemen tortured and forced them to admit the crime and this led to the investigation conducted by the national CIDG.

CIDG national Director Gen. Samuel Pagdilao then ordered the relief of former CIDG-Bacolod headChief Insp. Ernor Melgarejo, Senior Police Officer 1 Rosendo Bersal and Police Officer 2 Edney Matillano

The suspects’ family also sought the help of the Commission on Human Rights and filed criminal and administrative complaints for alleged violation of the anti-torture lawagainst City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, Melgarejo and eight other CIDG and BCPO personnel.*APN

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