A 44-year-old man was arrested outside the Baclaran Church in Paranaque City for allegedly raping his minor-aged stepdaughter.
The suspect is facing six counts of statutory rape for repeatedly raping the victim when she was just 15 years old in 2023.
The suspect was arrested by operatives of the Basud Municipal Police just after he attended Mass.
Police said the suspect was moving from one place to another in Cavite until he was caught walking outside the church. The suspect is considered the most wanted person in Basud, Camarines Norte.
The suspect was already brought to the custodial facility of the Basud police station. He refused to issue a comment on the allegations against him.
Baclaran Church
The Baclaran Church, officially known as the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, is a major Roman Catholic basilica in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is famous for its weekly Novena devotions, which draw thousands of faithful every Wednesday. The church was completed in the 1950s and is dedicated to an icon of the Virgin Mary, becoming one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the country.
