TUGUEGARAO CITY (PHILIPPINES)
Northern Forum [Cagayan Valley, Philippines]
March 2, 2023
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan – A warrant of arrest has been issued on March 1 for a priest accused of molesting a young student in Solana, Cagayan.
The arrest warrant for Fr Karole Reward Israel, assistant parish priest of St Vincent Ferrer in the said town was issued from Regional Trial Court Branch 4 by Judge Dennis Mendoza.
Among the charges for the suspect are rape, voyeurism, 20 counts of acts of lasciviousness on a young female student from a local private school in Solana.
Last year, the victim told the National Bureau of Investigation the sexual abuse she had allegedly undergone from the priest.
According to the NBI’s report, the suspect previously threatened to release a sex video of his crimes if the victim went to the authorities.
Fr Israel was nabbed back in October 2022 in a rescue operation in Barangay Iraga of the said town.
The suspect also immediately made a hefty P183,000 bail last year.
An order to arrest the accused anew has been given to local police. TN
*This is a developing story*