don't do this to me" but the latter replied, "Do you want me to kill you? I will even
include your mother and father." Thereafter, Ejercito dragged AAA to a nearby
barn, removed her shorts and underwear, while he undressed and placed himself
on top of her. He covered her mouth with his right hand and used his left hand to
point the gun at her, as he inserted his penis into her vagina and made back and
forth movements. When he finished the sexual act, Ejercito casually walked away
and warned AAA not to tell anybody or else, her parents will get killed. Upon
returning to her house, AAA hurriedly went to the bathroom where she saw a
bloody discharge from her vagina. The following day, AAA absented herself from
school and headed to the house of her aunt, CCC, who asked if she was okay. At
that point, AAA tearfully narrated the incident and requested CCC to remain silent,
to which the latter reluctantly obliged.[8]
Haunted by her harrowing experience, AAA was unable to focus on her studies.
Wanting to start her life anew, AAA moved to the city to continue her schooling
there. However, Ejercito was able to track AAA down, and made the latter his sex
slave. From 2002 to 2005, Ejercito persistently contacted AAA, threatened and
compelled her to meet him, and thereafter, forced her to take shabu and then
sexually abused her. Eventually, AAA got hooked on drugs, portrayed herself as
Ejercito's paramour, and decided to live together. When Ejercito's wife discovered
her husband's relationship with AAA, the former filed a complaint against AAA
before the barangay. By this time, even AAA's mother, BBB, found out the illicit
relationship and exerted efforts to separate them from each other. Finally, after
undergoing rehabilitation, AAA finally disclosed to her parents that she was raped
by Ejercito back in 2001 and reported the same to the authorities on September 3,
2005.[9]
In his defense, Ejercito pleaded not guilty to the charge against him, and
maintained that he had an illicit relationship with AAA. He averred that during the
existence of their affair from 2002 to 2004, he and AAA frequently had consensual
sex and the latter even abandoned her family in order to live with him in various
places in xxxxxxxxxxx. He even insisted that he and AAA were vocal about their
choice to live together despite vehement objections from his own wife and AAA's
mother. Finally, he pointed out that when AAA was forcibly taken from him by her
mother, as well as police authorities, no charges were filed against him. Thus, he
was shocked and dismayed when he was charged with the crime of Rape which
purportedly happened when they were lovers.[10]
The RTC Ruling
In a Decision[11] dated April 8, 2013, the RTC found Ejercito guilty beyond
reasonable. doubt of the crime charged and, accordingly, sentenced him to suffer
the penalty of reclusion perpetua, and ordered him to separately pay AAA and her