AFP says senior military officer with rape case detained in his quarters
MANILA, Philippines — The high-ranking military official slapped with a rape complaint by two junior officers is currently detained in his quarters inside a military camp, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said this comes after the relief of the military official, whose rank is a senior military officer.
“Yes, definitely he was restricted and he’s confined in his quarters,” Trinidad told reporters on Wednesday.
Asked about the identity of the officers involved, Trinidad said they are “protecting their privacy for security reasons.”
Earlier, the AFP assured two of its junior officers protection from any form of intimidation amid a probe on the case.
READ: AFP assures junior officers of protection amid rape charge vs superior
The AFP likewise said that it takes “all forms of misconduct and breaches of military discipline with utmost seriousness.”
For its part, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) admitted handling a “case of the same nature” as described in the report.
“Based on the published report from Inquirer.net, there was no specific named officer mentioned. However, we have a case of the same nature undergoing investigation in the General Headquarters, Armed Forces of the Philippines, in accordance with the existing rules and procedures,” PAF said in a statement.
Based on the report, the complaint was lodged before the Prosecutor’s Office against an unnamed military official accused of sexual assault earlier this year by two junior officers serving as his office assistants. The reported assault occurred last January 29 after the official and his assistants attended an event that lasted until early morning the following day, according to the complaint.
The two junior officers then proceeded to the official’s residence, where they were allegedly subjected to a series of inappropriate and coercive acts, culminating in the sexual assault.
The joint criminal complaint for rape through sexual assault and attempted rape through sexual assault was filed after an earlier military investigation found prima facie evidence that the official exhibited conduct unbecoming of an officer and conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline. /cb
