BACOLOD CITY — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bacolod revealed Thursday that a slain 15-year-old student had allegedly been molested by her stepfather since she was 12.
The victim’s stepfather, accompanied by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Bacolod, appeared at the NBI office after being summoned.
“What’s certain is that this child started being molested at the age of 12, and it continued. The stepfather perpetrated this,” said Atty. Manuel Fayre Jr., NBI-Bacolod head, in a media interview after a two-hour probe of the stepfather.
Fayre said they are considering filing a case against the stepfather related to the alleged molestation.
The stepfather, speaking to media after the NBI probe, declined to comment on the molestation allegations but said he’s willing to face any charges.
He denied involvement in his stepdaughter’s death and said he came to the NBI to testify and help police solve the case.
The victim, a 10th-grade student from Barangay Sum-ag, disappeared on July 29 after attending a half-day class.
Two weeks later, she was found dead in a sugarcane field in Barangay Cubay, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, on August 14.
Recent autopsy results, cited by police, indicated she was tortured before being killed.
The stepfather claimed no knowledge of who killed his stepdaughter and said he wasn’t protecting anyone involved.
He offered to testify again if authorities summon him and called for the perpetrator to surrender.
The NBI, however, was not convinced by his responses to questions about his stepdaughter’s death.
The agency summoned the stepfather after the victim’s mother recently met with the NBI and provided information that could help probe the teenager’s death.
The stepfather had earlier sought protective custody with CIDG-Bacolod after appearing to clear his name from allegations linking him to his stepdaughter’s death.
After meeting with the NBI, law enforcement decided not to take him into custody.
The stepfather’s recent appearance sparked social media speculation about his connection to the crime after he was reported missing when the victim was found dead.
He dismissed these links, saying he went to Iloilo after a misunderstanding with his partner, the victim’s mother, and remained in constant communication with her.
In a related development, the victim’s cousin turned over to Police Station 9 on Thursday night six sachets of suspected methamphetamine worth 200,000 pesos.
The drugs were found while cleaning the former rented house of the victim’s family in Barangay Sum-ag.
Police Capt. Michael Tuburan, head of Police Station 9, said the drugs were sealed in a cigarette case inside a drawer. The seized substances were sent to a crime laboratory for examination.
Tuburan said they could not determine the owner of the drugs, as someone might have entered the house after the victim’s family left.
The victim’s mother and siblings moved to a relative’s house in the village after the burial.
If the seized items test positive for drugs, Tuburan said they will investigate the circumstances. They have informed the NBI and La Carlota police about the discovery.
Tuburan also said they have obtained a conversation between the victim and her cousin that may aid the investigation into the teenager’s death.
The stepfather denied involvement in illegal drugs. He also refuted claims of threatening his partner, despite their previous misunderstanding that led him to leave their house.
He said he plans to return home but is unsure if his partner will accept him.
