Three of the victims were identified as Ara, 19; her younger sister, Sandra,
18; and Angel, all residents of Barangay Gamut in Barobo town, were alleged
sexually abused on August 25, 26 and 31 inside the seminar house in Barangay
Manyayay, Lianga in Surigao del Sur.
Police said the suspect, Adriano Tupaz, a.k.a. ‘Father’ Benjamin
Duhaylungsod, stayed in Sitio Bocgayan, Manyayay for at least six months.
Mae Salinas, Lianga social work and development officer, said the three
complainants are set to file rape cases against Tupaz before the
prosecutor’s office on Monday. She said the victims are now staying with
their relatives in the poblacion.
Tupaz reportedly escaped upon learning that his alleged rape victims have
reported the incident to the police.
But police investigators said they had difficulties solving the case since
the suspect had no known address.
SPO4 Bernicito Moreno, Lianga deputy police chief, said Ara revealed that
three other girls were also raped but that they opted to keep silent for
fear of being killed.
Lianga Mayor Felino Pantaleon Jr. believed it was possible that Tupaz had
raped at least 10 teen-age girls.
He said the suspect “convinced at least 80 innocent people mostly girls
coming from remote barangays of San Agustin and Barobo towns to
become ‘regular’ soldiers and officers of the army after the one-
month ‘spiritual warrior training’.”
In fact, the mayor said, a rural bank employee resigned from his work to
join Tupaz’ group. He added most of the recruits were forced to sell
their “rice fields, lands, house, and animals” and give their proceeds to
Tupaz as financial support for the training.
A police report said Tupaz claimed that President Arroyo ordered him to
organize some 200 people to become army soldiers.
The report also said that Tupaz deceived members of Bag-ong Kristohanong
Ispiritu Santo (BKIS) or New Christian of Holy Spirit into making him
their “spiritual leader”.
Police said BKIS was organized by “three Evangelio brothers” who are all
members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographic Unit (Cafgu) based in Sitio
Bukgayan, Manyayay.
The “spiritual warriors” military training was participated in by mostly
teenaged girls and regular Cafgu members and took place from August 3 to
September 5.
Police said the ‘trainees’ were promised to become ‘regular’ army soldiers
while others would get the rank of “2nd Lieutenant.”
