By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY — A missing Grade 10 student in Bacolod City is believed to have been tortured before being killed, according to an autopsy report released yesterday.
Police Captain Rosinie Cabuena, deputy chief of La Carlota City Police Station in Negros Occidental, said that the 15-year-old victim suffered blunt trauma to the head, neck, chest, stomach, and limbs, which ultimately led to her death.
“With the injuries sustained, there’s a strong possibility that the victim was tortured before she died,” Cabuena said.
However, Cabuena noted that it could not be determined if the victim was sexually assaulted, as her body was already in an advanced state of decomposition when it was discovered in a sugarcane field in Barangay Cubay, La Carlota City, on August 14.
The victim’s body was found two weeks after her family reported her missing at Police Station 9 on July 30, a day after she was last seen attending a half-day class at her school in Barangay Sum-ag, where she resided.
The victim’s stepfather recently came forward to deny allegations linking him to the incident.
He had been reported missing after his stepdaughter was found dead.
Seeking protective custody with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Bacolod, the stepfather claimed he was innocent, explaining that he had gone to Iloilo to unwind following a disagreement with his live-in partner, the victim’s mother.
He said that he remained in constant communication with his partner and only surfaced recently out of concern for his safety and that of his family.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Bacolod, which is conducting a separate investigation, initially identified the stepfather as a person of interest but recently upgraded him to a suspect, citing evidence linking him to the crime.
Despite the stepfather’s appearance, Cabuena indicated that police are not ruling out the possibility that other individuals may have been involved in the crime.
“We’re working hard in coordination with Police Station 9 to identify the suspect and any other possible perpetrators involved based on evidence,” she added.
Cabuena mentioned that investigators are reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to gather solid evidence but declined to comment on the progress of the investigation. She assured that they are doing their utmost to resolve the case quickly to bring justice to the victim.
Police Colonel Joeresty Coronica, officer-in-charge of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), confirmed that Police Station 9 is closely working with La Carlota police by sharing vital information that could assist in the investigation.
Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez has previously offered a P50,000 cash reward for any information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator.
