Transcript of stenographic notes

October 8
(Abridged and edited for study)
COURT STAFF: (After swearing in the witness) State your name and personal
circumstances.
WITNESS: I am Julia Torres, eighteen years old, single , and a resident of Barrio
Talaan, Lian, Batangas.
PROSECUTOR: With the Courts permission. Do you know Ronald Galang, the
accused in this case?
A:

Yes, sir. He is there (pointing to the accused).

Q:

Why do you know him?

A:

He raped me.

Q:

Where did this happen?

A:

It happened on the rice field near Marios house.

Q:

How did Ronald rape you?

A:
I struggled to get free but he pointed a knife at my side and threatened to
stab me if I called for help or persisted in fighting back.
Q:

So what did you do?

A:

Out of fear, I gave in and he raped me.

Q:

What did you do after Ronald raped you?

A:

I kept the matter to myself for a while.

Q:

Why?

A:
Because I was afraid of the trouble that will happen if my parents and
brothers found out. They loved me so much.
Q:

For how long did you keep the matter to yourself?

A:
After two days of worrying and feeling bad, I finally told my aunt about it and
she in turn told my parents.
A:
They were quite furious and wanted to take the matter into their own hands
but cooler headsn prevailed.

Q:

So what did you do after that?

A:

I went to the police to complain.

Q:

Is that all you did?

A:

I also submitted myself to medical examination.

Q:

When did Ronald rape you?

A:

He raped me on June 12 at 7 pm.

Q:

How did you meet Ronald on June 12?

A:
I went to the house of Celia in our barrio to attend a wedding party and saw
him there.
Q:

Do you have any relationship with Ronald?

A:

None. He was only my suitor.

Q:

What were your feelings during the party?

A:

I was in high spirit because I met a lot of friends and had a good time.

Q:

Do you recall any unusual thing that happened at that wedding party?

A:

Someone exploded firecrackers nearby and this caused a scare for a while.

Q:
You said that you saw your suitor, Ronald, at the party. Did you have occasion
to talk to each other?
A:
He wanted to talk to me but I ignored him because I disliked him for a suitor.
In fact, I stayed away from him.
Q:

What happened after you ignored him?

A:

The married couple danced after supper and people joined in.

Q:

What did you do after the dancing?

A:
At 11 p.m., I took a leave to go and started to walk home alone in the
moonlight.
Q:

Did anything unusual happen during your walk home?

A:
When I was about fifty meters from Marios house, Ronald came behind me
and requested that bhe walk me home.
Q:

What was your reaction to him?

A:

I really did not like him. I declined and doubled my steps.

Q:

So what happened after you walked faster?

A:

Ronald caught my arm and wrestled me to the ground?

Q:

What kind was the ground over there?

A:

It was rough ground and dry.

Q:

What did Ronald do while you were down on the ground?

A:
He covered my mouth with a hand so I could not shout. He pointed a knife at
me and forced me to yield to him.
Q:

Did it not bother you that you left the wedding party alone by yourself?

A:
No, sir. Walking alone did not bother me because I knew everyone in the
barrio.
Q:

What route did you take going home?

A:

I took a shortcut across Marios farm, in the direction of our house.

Q:

Can you describe the path that you took?

A:

The path was quite uneven and difficult.

Q:

How was it?

A:

I was used to it and I managed very well.

PROSECUTOR:

That is all.