Police Accused Of Killing Woman Who Filed Rape, Robbery Charges On Authorities

A 35-year-old woman who was robbed and raped by at least one of 11 policemen is dead after she was shot multiple times on Natalio Bacalso Avenue last week. The victim was identified as Ritchie Nepomuceno who in March was abducted by police for illegal possession of firearms and made to withdraw from her ATM roughly $3,500.

According to reports, Nepomuceno was raped by one of the arresting officers at the time. The 35-year-old sued officers from police station 6 in Cebu City after she was brought to the Sawang Calero police station but her arrest was not recorded on Mar 9. She was released several days later with no charges filed against her on Mar. 11.

A resident of Minglanilla town, south Cebu, Nepomuceno, sued the 11 officers of the Sawang Calero police station for robbery, arbitrary detention, grave coercion and grave threats at the Cebu provincial prosecutor’s office. They were also accused of stealing the woman’s valuables.

Accused of two counts of rape was police team leader SSgt. Celso Colita per the Philippine Daily Inquirer. According to Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo, head of the Central Visayas police, Colita allegedly molested Nepomuceno at a motel on Mar. 10.

The 11 police officers tied to the case were relieved from their post with an internal investigation no ongoing. Others who were charged were Chief MSgt. Eric Edgar Ernia; Staff Sergeants Joseph Alcoseba and Michael Rhey Cabizares; Corporals Emmanuel Martinez, Rochelito Mabulay, Ejill Ferrolino, Carlo Irizari, Junel Pedroza, John Carl Aceron and Georny Abrasado.

Maj. Eduard Sanchez, chief of the Sawang Calero police station, was not charged but was relieved from his post for command responsibility.

A link to the death of Nepomuceno has yet to be established. The 35-year-old was reportedly shot multiple times last Apr. 19 at around 6:00 p.m. Details on the incident have yet to be released.