SOUTH COTABATO - A laborer who was allegedly caught raping his 8-year old cousin was arrested by barangay officials on Monday in Barangay Carpenter Hill in Koronadal City.

“Accordingly, nahawaan pa daw ng sexually transmitted disease (STD) yung bata. So, nakakaawa yung biktima kaya sinampa talaga namin agad ang kasong rape,” Superintendent Barney Condes said. [Investigations show he gave the child a sexually transmitted disease. We feel really bad for the victim so we immediately filed a rape case.]

Initial investigations showed that the parents of the victim saw the suspect inside the girl's room.

The suspect initially denied that he raped his cousin, but admitted that he was drunk when he entered the room and touched the girl's intimate parts, officials said.

But a medico legal examination showed that the victim was raped.

The South Cotabato Police Provincial Office has recorded a total of 66 rape cases in the province this year, 25 of which involved minors.