Warehouseman arrested for allegedly filming female co-tenant in bathroom

A 39-year-old warehouseman was arrested Monday night after allegedly using his cellular phone to secretly film his female co-tenant while she was bathing, in violation of the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009.

The incident occurred at around 11 p.m. inside a residential compound in Barangay Manggahan, Pasig City.

Police said the 22-year-old victim, a customer care staff member, was taking a bath in the comfort room of her rented unit when she noticed a dark-colored cellular phone protruding through a small opening in the ceiling, with its camera allegedly pointed directly at her.

The victim recognized the device as similar to the one owned by her co-tenant, who was the only male occupant residing on the second floor. She immediately left the bathroom and sought help.

When the suspect allegedly refused to open his door despite repeated calls from the victim, the landlord sought assistance from the Barangay Manggahan Barangay Security Force.

Barangay security personnel confronted the suspect and recovered the cellular phone in his possession. The victim positively identified it as the same device she had seen in the ceiling. The phone was seized as evidence and turned over to the Manggahan Police Substation.

The victim was assisted by the barangay's Violence Against Women Desk officer and referred to the Women and Children Protection Desk of the Pasig City Police Station for further investigation and the filing of appropriate complaints. The recovered phone was also turned over for forensic examination.

The suspect remains in police custody pending the filing of formal charges before the Pasig City Prosecutor's Office.