By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY—While reports linking a stepfather to the death of a missing high school student here have been circulating on social media, police have declined to comment pending the ongoing investigation.
Police Captain Rosinie Cabuena, deputy chief of the La Carlota City Police Station, said they will release the final results of the investigation once the data is available, as they cannot rely on speculations.
“We’re exploring all possible angles. We’re waiting for the final autopsy results to avoid hindering the course of the investigation,” she added.
Cabuena mentioned that they are coordinating with the victim’s family to gather clues for the investigation. She also noted that they are expediting the autopsy to determine the cause of the victim’s death.
The 15-year-old victim’s stepfather was allegedly linked to the incident after he was reported missing for a few days.
Police Captain Michael Tuburan, head of Police Station 9, said they were able to contact the victim’s stepfather by phone, but he refused to disclose his location.
Tuburan said they encouraged the stepfather to come forward and clear his name from the allegations.
However, Tuburan did not provide further details, as the La Carlota City police is the lead unit investigating the case.
Their investigation is separate from the one being conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bacolod.
The teenage victim from Barangay Sum-ag was reported missing by her family at Police Station 9 on July 30, a day after she failed to return home from school on July 29.
She was found dead two weeks later in a sugarcane field in Barangay Cubay, La Carlota City, on August 14.
Police Station 9 is coordinating with La Carlota police by providing any information that could aid in the investigation.
Authorities have yet to determine how the victim ended up in La Carlota City.
Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) has appealed to netizens and the general public to stop sharing unverified posts, as these may spread fear among the populace.
This appeal comes after social media posts alleging individuals had gone missing circulated online.
However, upon verification, these incidents were not reported to police stations, and there were no blotter reports, making them false, according to Nocppo.
Despite these incidents not being on official records, the concerned stations were directed to visit the last known addresses of these alleged individuals to gather data on their whereabouts and obtain accurate information.
Regarding chain messages spreading on social media and via text about a van allegedly spotted in La Castellana town and La Carlota City targeting minors, both police stations issued statements on their official social media accounts, stating that the message is false.
Nocppo assured the public that police are on alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure public safety.
Police beat patrollers were also deployed in crime-prone areas based on the crime clock.
The stations are also conducting checkpoints and have established Police Assistance Desks near schools.
The provincial police force advised the public to get information from authorities, such as local police stations, their official social media accounts, Public Information Offices of Local Government Units (LGUs), and known media outlets, to avoid being misled.
Police Colonel Rainerio de Chavez, Nocppo director, urged the public to report any suspicious criminal activities to the nearest police station.
“We continue to remind everyone to be vigilant, to be aware of their surroundings and personal safety, and to remain calm,” he said.
