KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/21 Oct) — The vice mayor of South Upi in Maguindanao who was implicated in the alleged rape of a 21-year-old volunteer nurse in his town will voluntarily submit himself before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for an investigation.
Lawyer Arnel Dalumpines, assistant regional director of NBI in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said Vice Mayor Jordan Ibrahim has sent them a message saying he will appear before them to clear his name.
Dalumpines said Ibrahim is willing to cooperate with them “anytime.”
He, however, has no idea as to the time of Ibrahim’s appearance.
The vice mayor was the “political figure” being implicated in the rape of Florence (not her real name).
Despite the persistent reports linking the politician to the case, no one dared arrest him, reports said.
On Monday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima disclosed that results of the DNA test showed that Florence might have been raped by only one person and immediately ordered local prosecutors to pursue investigation into Ibrahim’s possible involvement in the crime.
Early last week, authorities freed six of the suspects after investigators failed to find proof that would charge the suspects for the crime.
The six, including the 62-year-old Melchor Fulgencio (a member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit or Cafgu) who first admitted having raped Florence but later retracted his statement, turned out negative in the DNA test.
On lawyer’s advice, Ibrahim has refused to issue statement as regard the rape case. (Malu Cadeliña Manar / MindaNews)