Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd on Friday directed the police office in Roxas City to exhaust all possible resources to track down and arrest the culprit who attacked and sexually assaulted a 19-year-old student in the city.

“Condemnation is a word that falls short to describe this crime, especially because it happened during the Christmas season. I have instructed the Capiz Provincial Police Office to set aside festivities for now and devote all the personnel they can to arrest the suspect,” Roxas said.

Reports said that the victim, of Barangay Quinayuya, Dao in Capiz, on her way to Barangay
Lawaan, Roxas, was raped and stabbed 21 times on Wednesday. She miraculously survived the attack and is now at a local hospital.

Police said that the crime took place when the student boarded a colorum tricycle on her way home in Fuentes Drive. Apart from the driver, a male cohort was also seated at the back of the bike.

The men allegedly announced a hold up, then took the victim’s valuables. Not contented, they also dragged the teenager to a secluded spot where they took turns raping her before stabbing her.

Thinking that the victim has died, the men fled the scene of the crime. The victim was later found by another tricycle driver who brought her to the hospital.

The Capiz police already arrested one of the suspects, the male cohort, identified as one Jessie dela Cruz, 30, of Punta Tabuk, Roxas City. The police are also conducting follow-up operations to capture the tricycle driver.

 Apart from ordering a full manhunt on the suspects, the Interior secretary also directed the police chief of Roxas City and the provincial police director of Capiz to implement measures to prevent any more case of sexual assault in the province.

 He ordered them to deploy more police officers in the barangays to ensure police visibility. Roxas also instructed authorities to conduct a crackdown against colorum tricycle drivers to prevent a similar modus used in attacking female passengers.