A 41-year-old man on Saturday was arrested by police for allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl in Trinidad town.
According to SPO1 Keith Siason of the Trinidad Police Station, suspect Michael Estrera, a habal-habal driver, raped the victim three times on separate occasions.
Estrera and the victim lived near each other in Barangay Guinobatan in Trinidad, said Siason.
The arrest was made after Estrera allegedly raped the girl for the third time inside an abandoned house on Saturday. The victim reported the incident to her older sister who in turn alerted the authorities.
Based on police investigation, the previous rape incidents happened inside the same abandoned structure on December 17 and April 15 in 2017.
Authorities said that the victim did not report the incidents immediately out of fear.
According to Siason, a rape charge was filed against Estrera on Monday.
Additional cases are also set to be lodged in court for the two previous rape incidents, Siason added. (A. Doydora)