By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY—“We will not rest until they are held accountable.”
This was the firm declaration of Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez as he directed the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) to thoroughly investigate the death of a missing high school student and bring those responsible to justice, in coordination with the La Carlota City police.
The decomposing body of the 15-year-old victim, whose name was withheld, was discovered in a sugarcane field in Barangay Cubay, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, last Wednesday, two weeks after she was reported missing by her family in Bacolod City on July 30.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the tragic and senseless death of the 15-year-old Bacolodnon, a Grade 10 student from Barangay Sum-ag,” Benitez said in a statement released to the media yesterday.
The mayor emphasized that this heinous act is a grave injustice. He expressed his condolences to the victim’s family.
In light of this tragedy, Benitez urged young people to exercise caution when interacting with others, particularly those they do not know well.
“Always inform your family members or any trusted adult of your whereabouts,” he advised.
Police Captain Michael Tuburan, head of Police Station 9, stated that their investigation revealed the victim attended a half-day class in Bacolod on July 29.
She allegedly asked her teacher for permission to go home early due to a stomach ache.
Her family reported her missing the following day after she failed to return home, Tuburan added.
Tuburan suggested that the victim might have voluntarily gone with someone she knew, though this has not been confirmed pending further investigation.
He said the police are closely coordinating with the La Carlota City Police Station to assist in the investigation.
He noted that the victim was not captured on any closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Bacolod.
Despite this, Tuburan assured that they would provide any information that could help authorities in their investigation.
Meanwhile, Police Captain Rosinie Cabuena, deputy chief of the La Carlota City Police Station, said they are awaiting the autopsy results to determine the cause of death.
Cabuena added that they are continuously probing the incident to establish a motive, as it remains unclear how the victim ended up in La Carlota City.
