A 22-year-old Russian woman who has been travelling alone in the Philippines will be filing a criminal complaint against a Badjao native accessories vendor who allegedly raped her along a beach in Panglao.

Annika (not her real name) reported to police on Tuesday that she may have been raped by a Badjao man who she met along a beach in Barangay Libaong.  

The vendor, whose identity was withheld by police pending the filing of charges against him, offered to be her guide along the shore but he then allegedly led her to a secluded area where he choked her until she fell unconscious.

She regained consciousness about an hour later without her shorts and underwear.

“Unconscious siya pagkahitabo kay gituok ni siya then pagkamata niya wa na siya’y underwear ug shorts” said Senior Staff Sgt. Vicky Villaber of the Panglao police’s Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD).

Only a medical examination would be able to determine if Annika was indeed raped.

According to Villaber, it will take a week before test results will be released but police had noted that the victim suffered from a bruised neck and had scratches in her back and legs.

Meanwhile, police bearing a photo of the Badjao launched a hot pursuit operation against the suspect who remained at large.

Villaber said that they have photos of the suspect as he and Annika took selfies before the incident.

Although the suspect forced Annika to delete the photos she was able to store some through her phone’s deleted file folder.

“Gipa delete sa suspect ang picture pero kining iPhone kay naa may folder na tua didto ang mga deleted photos,” Villaber added.

Annika who arrived in the Philippines alone six days ago and in Bohol on Sunday is determined to file charges against the suspect. (A. Doydora)