19-year-old girl’s rape claim vs taxi driver not true, ICPO says

By Jennifer P. Rendon

‘Twas a lie.

The 19-year-old girl who claimed to have been raped by a taxi driver admitted to police investigators that her allegations are not true.

It took several hours before the teenager finally admitted that she just made up the story and apologized to the police.

“But to say that there was no sexual molestation that happened is something that we have yet to verify,” Major Shella Mae Sangrines, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), chief said.

“What we are certain for now is that no taxi driver was involved,” she said.

Rose (real name withheld), a resident of Iloilo province, claimed that she flagged down the taxi at GT Mall in Pavia, Iloilo.

A first-year college student, she allegedly asked the driver to bring her to her boarding house in Jaro, Iloilo City.

But instead of making a left turn at Barangay Sambag, Jaro, the driver sped towards Diversion Road in Mandurriao.

The victim said she was then taken to a lodging house where the alleged rape happened.

She did not mention being threatened with a weapon or a gun.

After the alleged rape incident, she was able to send her pinned location to a friend.

The driver eventually took her to her boarding house in Jaro, Iloilo City.

On Sunday evening, she lodged a complaint at the Iloilo City Police Station 4 (Molo).

However, upon initial verification, police investigators deemed that the incident may have happened in Arevalo district. Rose was subsequently referred to ICPS6.

Members of ICPS6 rounded the area where she could have been brought.

Eventually, it was deemed that the area where the alleged rape may have happened in Molo district. She was again referred back to ICPS4.

Police have earlier noted a lot of inconsistencies in the girl’s statements.

“Sometimes, it’s normal for victims of traumatic incidents not to remember some details. That’s why, we were patient in asking her the details,” Sangrines said.

For one, she could not remember the motel where she was brought to or even the body number of the taxi.

With her admitting that she made up a story, Sangrines said they’re still conducting an investigation if she was indeed molested by another person.

Investigation indicated the victim indeed rode a vehicle from GT Mall.

“But she went by her own volition,” Sangrines said.

Whether the rape happened or not, “that’s something we need to investigate.”

Sangrines said they already have a person and a vehicle of interest behind the incident.

As to what drove the girl to fabricate the story, “We really don’t know. Maybe, she has some personal issues to deal with,” Sangrines said.

Last week, at least two taxi drivers hogged the limelight after they were complained by their female passengers.

One claimed that the driver brought her to an out-of-the-way route while the other one alleged that the taxi driver fondled her.