2 Koreans arrested for rape of 2 Japanese in Lapu-Lapu City

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Two Koreans have been placed behind bars to face charges for allegedly raping two Japanese women in Lapu-Lapu City on Saturday.

Jong Duk Lee, 34, and Carl Park, 21, were detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Cental Visayas (CIDG-7) stockade inside Camp Sotero Cabahug in Cebu City, pending the filing of rape charges at the prosecutor’s office in Lapu-Lapu on Monday.

Park, whose family owns Isla Hotel in Lapu-Lapu, declined to issue a statement. Instead, he showed the Philippine Daily Inquirer his photo with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

The victims, aged 21 and 20, were tourists in Cebu City.

The 20-year-old arrived in Cebu on June 21 to visit her friend who had been in Cebu since May to study English. She was supposed to go back to Japan on Monday while her friend still had a month to finish her studies.

The CIDG report showed that both victims were renting an apartment on Lapu-Lapu City.

According to a police report, they were walking near their apartment, last Friday, when the suspects befriended them. They exchanged mobile phone numbers because the victims said the Koreans were nice to them.

The suspects even offered to take them to SM City in Cebu City where they planned to shop.

The victims turned down the offer and took a cab to SM City. Lee later called them up and they met at a coffee shop.  The Koreans then took them to Tops, a park located on a mountain top in Busay village to enjoy the panoramic view of Cebu City. From Tops, they went to a restobar along Gen. Maxilom Avenue.

The two women said they got drunk and later found themselves in a motel in Lapu-Lapu City where the two Koreans allegedly raped them.

Senior Police Officer 1 Roel Leyson, case investigator, said the Koreans left the women inside the motel room about 5 a.m. on Saturday.

The Koreans didn’t pay the P700 in motel bills and told the security guard that the women would pay, he said.

One of the victims called up her Filipino friend who in turn sought the assistance of the CIDG-7.

Senior Superintendent Jose Pante, CIDG-7 chief,  ordered Inspector Delfin Bontuyan to arrest the two Koreans.

A CIDG team arrested Park at his residence in Sunny Hills, Talamban village, in Cebu City. Lee was collared at the CIDG-7 office when he visited Park inside the police facility.