DAVAO CITY — Justice Secretary Leila de Lima vowed to pursue the 
investigation on South Upi Vice Mayor Jordan Ibrahim’s involvement in the gang-rape case of a nurse in Maguindanao province.
De Lima, who visited the rape victim, Florence (not real name), at the Southern Philippine Medical center in this city last Friday, said Ibrahim is not yet off the hook as she already told the police to investigate his connection to the case.
“I told the police to look into that although he’s not officially a suspect, but I told the police not rule him out,” De Lima said.
Florence was found naked and unconscious in a corn field in the town of South Upi on September 25 after she was reportedly abducted and raped by a group of men.
The Justice secretary said the National Bureau of Investigation is focusing on Melchor Fulgencio, a former government militia, who admitted to the crime.
“Sabi ko nga kailangan pang i-verify pa nang husto because this guy ay may tinuturong co-perpetrator niya, a certain Edwin, but he cannot be traced or located. We do not know whether he truly exists,” she said.
De Lima also said she is “inclined to believe” that the original six suspects to the crime are innocent, since initial investigation showed that the six were all at a karaoke place on the night of the rape and only one of them left because he was already very drunk.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Monday said she supports health workers arming themselves when assigned to far-flung areas.
“This is a very unfortunate incident and I hope the local government unit of Maguindanao will do something to solve it and to make sure the real perpetrators are found,” she said. (Jade C. Zaldivar of Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
what a pity women has to suffer violence.