QC Mayor Bautista punched serial criminal

Soque and one of his rape victims during a press conference at Camp Karingal on Feb.12 (www.balita.net.ph)

MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista allegedly punched and kicked an arrested serial robber-rape-homicide suspect at the police headquarters on Thursday.

Bautista, however, denied his actions but said that he felt pity for the suspect’s victims.

“I was moved by the sight of those pitiful women. You saw how they immediately cried when they saw him,” he said, adding that one of the rape victims even fainted upon seeing her accuser.

Commission on Human Rights chairwoman Loretta Ann Rosales said that they will not yet file a case against Bautista for violation of human rights as the facts were still unclear.

“He denied that he did it. We are just as concerned as he is about the plight of the victims of the suspect,” she said, adding that she believed that the mayor would not abuse his powers.

The serial suspect, 29-year-old Mark Soque, was arrested for eight robberies, three sexual abuses and a murder of a Korean national. He was captured Thursday morning after the police received reports on the criminal’s whereabouts.

Soque was spotted near the entrance of Ever Gotesco Mall in Commonwealth, Quezon City at around 10:30 am, Thursday morning. Police supposed that the suspect, who was a resident in Commonwealth, was looking for another victim or establishment to rob.

A one hand grenade, cal .45 pistol and several small sachets containing alleged shabu were recovered from the criminal. He was also in possession of a red Yamaha motorcycle which he might have been using as a getaway vehicle.

Soque made headlines last week not only for multiple cases of robbery and rape but also for shooting and killing Park Mi-kyung, a female Korean, while he and his accomplice were robbing a café in Don Antonio Heights, Barangay Holy Spirit on February 9.

The suspect admitted his robberies but denied the rape cases and the killing pinpointing his cohort, who remained at large, as the rapist and killer.

Rape victims, however, positively identified Soque. One of the victims even recalled how he threatened her by saying that he would come back for her.

“Tatlo kayo, diba? Nagpalit-palitan pa kayo. Pinaghubad niyo kame at ginapos. (There were three of you, remember? You even took turns. You forced us to take off our clothes then you tied us up),” said one of the victims.

The suspect was then charged with robbery, rape, illegal possession of firearms and drugs.

Soque’s first known robbery instance was on December 23 last year at Genilo Dermasolutions on Maginhawa Street, Quezon City.

With report from Cyra Moraleda