Nurses' group dismayed over release of 6 gang-rape suspects

A major Philippine nurses’ organization voiced dismay Thursday over the release of six suspects in the gang-rape of a volunteer nurse in Maguindanao province last month. Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) president Teresita Barcelo said they are coordinating with the Justice Department to fine-tune the group's next legal move on the matter. “Natatakot kami na baka sa kagaganito't kagaganoon wala ni isang maituturo na perpetrator at yung totoong may sala natutuwa at pinagtatawanan kami kasi nasa labas siya (We are afraid we may end up with no suspects in the case, and the perpetrator will just be scot-free, laughing at all of us)," Barcelo said in an interview on dwIZ radio. She also voiced fears the release will buy the perpetrators enough time to flee the country. “In the end, no one will be jailed. For now, there is an unseen hand muddling the case and confusing the facts," she said in Filipino. When asked if the perpetrators could be planning to flee the country, she said, “yes. Kaya this morning yan ang immediate concern (yes, that is what we will have to discuss. That is our immediate concern)." She also said the release – coupled with the earlier recantation of a self-confessed suspect in the case – smacked of an attempt to throw investigators off the scent. Barcelo said she has sought a meeting with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to discuss their next legal move. “Our call is for a special prosecutor to handle the case and to move the case from Cotabato to a safer place. Those are our possible strategies," she said. Citing information reaching her, she said that while not all the six may be involved, there are indications linking “one to two" of them to the crime. “Meron akong alam pero di ko beripikado, na hindi siguro lahat sa anim na dinampot... pero isa o dalawa sa mga ito ay posibleng involved. Kaya hindi ko maano bakit lahat ay [pinalaya](Based on information reaching me, one or two of the six suspects are probably involved in the crime. I cannot understand why all six were released wholesale)," she said. But she said the PNA will still confer with De Lima and government prosecutors, saying her group does not want to preempt their moves. She also said any act by the PNA on its own will be unfair for the victim, nicknamed Florence, because she has the right to decide on what to do next. “It’s a criminal offense the state can act on. But we cannot ask Florence what she wants to do next. We are just a support group. We cannot preempt her or the state. It will not be fair," she said. On Wednesday, six suspects in the gang-rape were freed after provincial prosecutors found no solid evidence linking them to the crime. In a 10-page resolution, the Maguindanao prosecutor’s office said there is “no probable cause" to charge the six suspects with rape after a review of testimonies from witnesses. Cleared from the crime were Glenn Saldoa, Rustom Sangclap, Michael Candelario, Jeffrey Fernandez, Eugene Biscara and Darwin Escalona. But Prosecutor Cairoden Pangunotan, who wrote the resolution, said the six can still be charged with rape if new evidence links them to the crime. Police initially arrested the six after witnesses reportedly saw them with the rape victim in a videoke bar before she was allegedly gang-raped on September 25. The six were also reportedly among those who found the volunteer nurse naked and unconscious in a cornfield and brought her to the hospital, while one of them reported the incident to the local police. On the other hand, the Maguindanao prosecutor’s office recommended the filing of charges against former militiaman Melchor Fulgencio, who admitted to taking part in the gang-rape but recanted his statement later. Victim’s family saddened Barcelo said the victim’s family had been informed of the release and was saddened by it. However, she said the victim herself was not informed, at least for now. “Ang tungkol sa release ng mga suspect 'di sinasabi kay Florence. Pero ang pamilya alam kaya medyo malungkot pero si Florence 'di muna sinasabihan (We have not told her about this although her family has been informed. They are very sad)," she said. She said the victim’s condition continues to improve but is being monitored closely. She said the victim can understand instructions and sit on her own, but still has partial paralysis in the right side of the body. For now, Barcelo said the victim’s vision is fine but still could not communicate, but she can repeat words. “Hopefully maka-recover siya fully (We hope she can recover fully)," she said. — LBG, GMANews.TV