By Jennifer P. Rendon
A 52-year-old man accused of raping a mentally challenged woman was arrested evening of April 19, 2021 in Carles, Iloilo.
Police identified the suspect as Johnny Ceballos, a resident of Barangay Tabugon, the area where he was also arrested.
Members of Carles Police Station collared the suspect for violation of Article 266-A of the Revised Penal Code for two counts of rape under Criminal Case Numbers 2021-9823 and 2021-9824.
Judge Oscar Leo Billena of the Regional Trial Court Branch 66 in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, issued the arrest warrant on March 17, 2021. No bail was set for Ceballos’s temporary liberty.
Article 266-A of the Revised Penal Code states that rape is committed even without the presence of elements of force, threat, intimidation, or fraudulent machinations, as long as the victim is under the age of 12 or is demented.
According to police reports, the incident happened some time October 2016.
The suspect lured the victim by inviting her to get some vegetables at his friend’s house located at the nearby village.
When the victim fell into his trap, he allegedly sexually abused the victim, who was already medically assessed as mentally handicapped.
Ceballos is presently detained at Carles Municipal Police Station custodial facilities for proper disposition of his case.
