Ex-CAFGU recants confession in 'Florence' rape case

A former militiaman who initially admitted that he was one of the men who took part in the gang-rape of a volunteer nurse in Maguindanao has backtracked and said he was tortured by his neighbors into "confessing" to a crime he did not commit. In an exclusive report on GMA News’ “24 Oras", suspect Melchor Fulgencio said he was forced to admit to raping Florence (not her real name) after neighbors beat him up. The neighbors subsequently turned him over to the police. Fulgencio is a former member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) who now works for a Korean firm in Mindanao. “Hindi totoo na ako ‘yung nag-rape. Hindi ko rin alam. Bigla na lang ako hinuli. Nasaktan ako ng husto," Fulgencio told GMA News. (It is not true that I was the one who raped her. I was surprised that I was arrested. I was beaten up so bad.)
Fulgencio’s wife Leycel also said she believes that her husband was not involved in the crime. "Kung sino man siya, dapat maglabas na siya, maglantad na siya para mapawalang-sala na ang asawa ko kasi naniniwala ako na wala talaga siyang kasalanan," she said in the interview. (Whoever committed the crime should turn himself over to the police so that my husband can be cleared, as I really believe he did not do it.) Fulgencio’s statements are not official as he has yet to execute a sworn affidavit before a lawyer. A member of Task Force Florence, which was formed to resolve the crime, dismissed Fulgencio’s recantation. "Defense mechanism ‘yan. We have experiences in the past na initially nagco-confess out of sa guilt nila, but nung nalaman nila yung possible consequences ng kanilang confession, usually bumabaligtad. But we are not relying solely on his confession, meron ding forensic," said Supt. Jacinto Malinao Jr., chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. More than 100 nurses, doctors, and medical personnel of Cotabato Regional Medical Center (CRMC) wore black armbands on Monday morning to condemn the crime. A manifesto of condemnation by the Philippine Nurses Association of Cotabato was read and a donation box for Florence and her family was passed around during the protest action. "Ito ay para sa tulong pinansyal para sa gagastusin ng pamilya, sa pangangailangan hindi lamang ng pasyente kundi pati ng pamilya," said Dr. Helen Yambao, chief of hospital. Before her transfer to South Upi town in Maguindanao as part of the Nurses Assigned in Rural Services (NARS) program of the departments of Health, and Labor and Employment, Florence was part of the nursing program of the CRMC. “Florence submitted a letter to us telling us that she will be cutting off her training because she was accepted as a nurse in the NARS project," said the hospital’s chief nurse Norma Reyes. Over 300 volunteer nurses are taking part in the NARS program in the region, and the Department of Labor and Employment in ARMM said none of them has backed out so far. Florence’s colleagues in South Upi, however, will be transferred to other areas. New registered nurses applying for the CMRC’s training program told GMA News they are now hesitant to be assigned to far-flung places. "Kung sa malayo kasi, ang parents ko rin iniisip ang safety ko. Mas comfortable kami sa city," said Dana Samson, an applicant. "Sobrang natakot (ako) pero iniisip din namin na pwede din namang magtrabaho kami sa lugar na malayo dito sa Cotabato pero ‘yung siguradong safe kami, bantay-sarado ‘yung lugar," Kassyleen Vismanos added. - JERRIE ABELLA/YA, GMANews.TV