NBI: Victim's statement can pinpoint Maguindanao rapist

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said the statement of the victim raped in Maguindanao in September would speed up the process of identifying the perpetrator. However, Acting Assistant Regional Director Arnel Dalumpines, of the NBI Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARRM), said they could not yet take the statement of the victim, Florence (not her real name) because of her health condition. “We are still waiting for the go signal of the doctor before we could take her statement. Hopefully, she recovers soon," Dalumpines said. While waiting for the testimony of the victim, the NBI has been building up the case by gathering evidence, both testimonial (statements of witnesses) and forensic (scientific). “If we get witnesses and get statement and gather strong evidence to pinpoint a certain person then we will file a case. But at this time, probe is still on-going. We are expanding the probe and we are not limiting the investigation to the vice mayor or any person in particular. We are looking at other angles," Dalumpines said. Fulgencio's companions Meanwhile, Dalumpines said two companions of suspect Melchor Fulgencio would be subjected to a DNA examination, lie detector test, and others. Fulgencio, a former militiaman, initially admitted that he was one of the men who took part in the gang-rape of Florence. However, he has backtracked, saying 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 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. Fulgencio tagged a certain “Edwin" as the one who raped the victim. Fulgencio said he tried to rape Florence but failed because he was too drunk at that time. When he was subjected to DNA test, the result showed that Fulgencio did not rape the victim. Suspect 'Edwin' Justice Secretary Leila de Lima earlier said they are still considering alias “Edwin" as the suspect. “Ang natitira pa rin nating suspect ay si alias Edwin, who may or may not be the vice mayor," she said at a press briefing on Tuesday. She said Edwin may or not be South Upi, Maguindanao Vice-Mayor Jordan Ibrahim. De Lima earlier said if Ibrahim refuses to submit himself to an investigation, he may be considered a suspect. De Lima noted that Ibrahim previously agreed to have his samples taken but his lawyer reportedly discouraged him from doing so because he was not yet formally named as a suspect. She said Ibrahim, accompanied by his lawyer, went to the local NBI office on October 21 and promised to give in to the NBI's request for test the following day. "But up to now, he is yet to appear in the NBI regional office for the test. Last October 21 the vice mayor appeared at NBI local office assisted by counsel. He said he will return the following day but did not come. The report is that he was somewhat hostile," she said. "He refused to give DNA, citing lawyer’s advice. Although I understand that the lawyer who was with him was very cooperative, but he said he needs to consult another counsel, his permanent counsel," she added. De Lima clarified that Ibrahim is not a suspect at the moment. “I was asking National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), we can already consider him a suspect. But at this very moment, not yet, but hopefully very soon, he will be," said told reporters during a press briefing on Tuesday. Three more suspects “Three more possible suspects were subjected to polygraph tests, including the owner of the videoke bar and to or three more guys who were present during that night in that area. They all resulted negative, no signs of deception when they were answering questions to material points during that examination," she said. De Lima also said three more individuals were subjected to a lie-detector test to find out who assaulted " Florence . "The polygraph test showed that they had nothing to do with the rape," she said She said that Florence's health is improving. “ Florence , according to doctors, is recovering her motor functions," she said. - VVP, GMANews.TV