Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro has ordered the dismissal of a traffic aide who was accused of raping a female junior police volunteer inside the Marikina City Sports Center last month.
Arren Atanacio, a Traffic Aid 1 at the Office of Public Safety and Security, was fired by Acting City Administration Adrian Salvador as ordered by Teodoro on Monday.
Atanacio’s termination came after he was accused by a 23-year-old junior police volunteer of raping her inside the Junior Police headquarters on the third floor of Marikina Sports Center in Barangay Sta. Elena on June 6.
He was then a trainer of Marikina City Police’s “Junior Police” program, which was created for those who want to voluntarily help managing the traffic within the city.
It was learned that Atanacio is also facing charges for other forms of abuse filed by at least 13 victims, aged 14 to 26, before the Marikina City Prosecutors’ Office this year.
The victim said Atanacio had told her that it was too dangerous to go home since it was already late at that time.
Instead, he offered her to sleep at their barracks inside the sports center, which she accepted.
While she was sleeping, the suspect allegedly raped her.
A medico-legal examination conducted by the Eastern Police District – Crime Laboratory revealed that the victim had lacerations on her private parts.
Teodoro has warned all city hall employees to never take advantage of their positions or face termination and end up like Atanacio.
“The local government of Marikina wants to ensure that government employees are not using their position to abuse other people,” the mayor said.
“We will not tolerate such acts. I had enough. There are so many complaints against him that’s why I immediately ordered my City Administrator [to fire Atanacio],” he added. (Jhon Casinas)
