They demanded justice for a fellow student who was allegedly kidnapped and raped by a local official, said to be a member of an influential family in a nearby Maguindanao town.

Yesterday, the students, led by officers of the USM’s Local Student Government (LSG), wore red T-shirts and arm bands as sign of their outrage.

According to a testimony of Angelie (not her real name), a 17-year-old student taking up Hotel and Management Course in the College of Human Ecology and Food Sciences, she was taken by force from her boarding house on the night of last Feb. 25 by a certain Blanca. They immediately boarded a red pick-up vehicle, together with two other persons, one of them identified only as Jarom.

When they reached the university belt, Blanca took her to one of the rooms at the Pareng Bong Lodging House, where the alleged assailant, was waiting.

Angelie, in her testimony, said that at gunpoint, the man ordered her to undress. She was also told to take some shabu, but she refused.

At around 11 p.m., she was then taken back to her boarding house where she related the incident to her board mates and then later to her father.

Immediately, they went to the local police station where they filed a complaint against the suspects.

The next day, the documents were submitted to the North Cotabato Provincial Prosecution Office in Kidapawan City. After it was raffled, it went to the Kabacan Prosecution Office.

The prosecution has given the suspect and the other three individuals allegedly involved in the crime at least 10 days to execute their counter-affidavits.

After 10 days, the prosecution will then determine if there’s a probable cause to file the complaint with the Regional Trial Court.

But reports stated that when Montawal heard of the case, he immediately went into hiding.

Angelie’s father said that this fight is not only the fight of his daughter but also the struggle of the people of Kabacan who demand justice for other students who were also raped by the suspect.

"While I cry justice for what had happened with my daughter, but I know that there are other victims of this heinous crime who have been killed or silenced or were paid huge sums of money just to keep their mouths shut," the father said.

Kabacan Councilor Cedric Mantawil, chairman of the sangguniang bayan committee on peace and order, said that they salute Angelie for her courage to fight.