A Caloocan court has dismissed the rape case filed against Bulacan Mayor Enrico Roque due to the complainant’s repeated failure to appear in court.
Judge Rowena Violago Alejandria of the Caloocan Regional Trial Court ruled the case lacked evidence and cleared Roque, Pandi Councilor Jonjon Roxas, and local government employee Roel Raymundo Jr.
The complainant, Mikaela Mariano Buico, failed to attend court hearings, and inconsistencies in her case were revealed, including a false address and a potentially fabricated medico-legal certificate.
The Department of Justice also flagged missing official records supporting Buico’s allegations, and documents from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed Buico lacked birth, marriage, or death records.
The court ordered the release of Roxas and Raymundo, while Roque, who had voluntarily surrendered in February, claimed the charges were fabricated to harm his reputation.Source: PhilNews24 | March 11, 2025
