By Jennifer P. Rendon
A 76-year-old man was arrested after attacking a 42-year-old neighbor who allegedly attempted to sexually assault his 65-year-old wife.
The incident happened around 4:05 a.m. on June 8 in Barangay Plandico, Concepcion, Iloilo.
The suspect, identified as alias Eduardo, was immediately taken into custody after the attack.
According to reports, the victim, alias Lina, woke up to find their neighbor, alias Ryan, fondling her and kissing various parts of her body.
Staff Sgt. Edward Magluyan, investigator at the Concepcion Municipal Police Station, said the elderly couple had been sleeping in separate houses at the time.
Eduardo, who stayed in the adjacent house, was already awake and preparing to take his carabao to the fields when the break-in occurred.
Magluyan said Ryan had just returned from a drinking session that ended around 3 a.m. and was believed to be intoxicated during the assault.
Lina managed to break free, opened the sliding window in her room, and jumped out before calling for help.
Eduardo responded immediately and hacked Ryan with a bladed weapon.
Despite his injury, Ryan escaped into another house, where barangay officials later placed him under citizen’s arrest.
He was brought to Sara District Hospital and treated for a minor hack wound on the shoulder.
Police filed a charge of acts of lasciviousness against Ryan on Monday.
Meanwhile, Ryan told police he does not intend to pursue charges against Eduardo.
Magluyan said this was not the first time Ryan had been accused of sexually harassing women in their community.
“It’s common knowledge in their barangay that he often breaks into homes—not to steal, but to molest women,” he said.
One of the alleged victims was the elderly couple’s daughter.
It was not immediately clear if Ryan had been formally charged in previous incidents.
