MALASIQUI, Pangasinan — The Malasiqui Police Station (MPS) and San Carlos Police Station arrested on Wednesday a government employee who was listed as wanted person in this town for 15 counts of sexual assault and two counts of qualified trafficking of person.
PO3 Arnold Quilates, warrant police non-commissioned officer of MPS, in an interview identified the suspect as Carlo Espinoza, 34, resident of barangay Gomez here, and an employee of the Department of Health assigned at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) under job order contract of service.
Quilates disclosed that Espinoza has been arrested while on duty at the PPH in barangay Bolingit San Carlos City by virtue of the warrant of arrest issued by Presiding Judge Rusty Naya of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 56 in San Carlos City dated May 22.
He said the cases against Espinoza were filed on August 2017 by the male minor victims from a high school in this town with the assistance of the Women and Children Protection Desk (WACPD) of MPS headed by PO2 Marissa Carino.
“The suspect, who has a snack store near the school, allegedly lured these male high school students to join his fraternity called Kapatiran ng mga Sigang Kabataan. But before they could join, they underwent initiation, wherein they chose between pleasure and pain,” Quilates said.
He added the principal of the school learned about the initiation rites of the fraternity from the students, which eventually led to the filing of case against Espinoza.
“He also allegedly trafficked two of the students to his homosexual friends,” said Quilates.
He further said the victims were turned-over by the WACPD to the Department of Social Welfare and Development last year for counseling.
Espinoza is now detained at the MPS and will be brought to the San Carlos RTC.
The warrants imposed PHP200, 000 bail for each of the sexual assault case, or a total of PHP3 million bail for the 15 counts of sexual assault.
No bail was recommended for the two counts of qualified trafficking, added Quilates. (Hilda Austria/PNA)
