By Jennifer P. Rendon
The third most wanted person of Antique was arrested while attempting to flee the province late morning of January 3.
But before he could get far, police got wind of the plan of Allan Española, 20, a resident of Barangay Langca-on, Barbaza town.
A roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) passenger bus that could have taken him to Metro Manila was flagged down at Barangay Beri, Barbaza.
The suspect was with his older sister, Aileen, who was supposed to accompany him on his travel.
It was his older brother, Albert, who also facilitated their trip to Metro Manila.
Members of the Barbaza Municipal Police Station and the Antique Police Provincial Office (AkPPO)-Provincial Intelligence Team collared the suspect by virtue of an arrest warrant for the following cases:
-rape by sexual assault under Article 266-A para. 2 of the Revised Penal Code as amended by Republic Act No. 8353 (The Anti-Rape Law of 1997); and
-lascivious conduct under Section of 5 (B) of R.A. 7610 docketed under Criminal Case Numbers RT-BGS-2022-05-2056-BAR & RT-BGS-2022-05-2057-BAR.
Judge Mario de Guzman Andres of the Regional Trial Court-Branch 64 in Bugasong, Antique issued the arrest warrant on Nov. 16, 2022
No bail was set for his rape charge while a P200,000 bail was recommended for the lascivious conduct case.
Executive Master Sergeant Alice Juanitas, Barbaza deputy police chief, said the suspect is also the town’s top most wanted person.
He was accused by a 17-year-old girl, also a resident of the same place, last year.
The suspect is now detained and will be turned over to the court concerned.
