By Calvin Cordova and Jeffrey Damicog
A cash reward of P1.8 million for information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of the brutal slay of a 16-year-old girl in Lapu-Lapu City, has been offered by a local government unit, two government organizations and an American retiree.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza said the local government unit has offered a P1 million cash reward, while an American retiree now based in Ormoc offered P500,000 to add to the reward money.
The Cebu Provincial Council for the Welfare of Children offered P200,000, and the Police Regional Advisory Council, P100,000.
The body of the girl, Christine Silawan, was discovered early Monday morning in a vacant lot in a barangay in Lapu-Lapu City, with “stab wounds all over the body and her face peeled off the bone.
Read more: Slain girl in Lapu-Lapu stabbed 20 times – Police
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu chapter, in a statement, called the killing “an act of pure evil.” The group has offered its services in the prosecution of the suspects.
“The brutal killing of the teenage girl in Lapu-Lapu is an act of pure evil and we call upon our authorities to catch the monsters responsible. We also call upon witnesses to come out and speak for the early resolution of this dastardly act,” the IBP Cebu chapter statement said.
‘It’s just a matter of time’
Senior Supt. Lemuel Obon, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, who visited the wake, assured the victim’s mother that the persons behind the gruesome murder will be arrested.
“It’s just a matter of time before they’ll get arrested. There are three of them and they are armed. My instruction to my men is to get them alive as much as possible,” Obon said.
Obon refused to divulge the identities of the killers pending operations to arrest them.
“I hope I can tell everything now, like why and who killed Christine, but we have to withhold some information so as not to hamper our operations,” said Obon.
Obon said the culprits are transferring from one place to another, thus making it hard for the law enforcers to corner them.
Not a random victim
While he refused to divulge some specifics, Obon said Christine was not a random victim and that what happened to her was planned.
The culprits had an “interest” on Christine but Obon said it was unlikely that she had a relationship with the assailant.
President monitors progress
Obon said that President Duterte has been monitoring the progress of the case.
“I have been receiving calls from the Office of the President asking for updates on the case. We are doing our best to arrest the culprits and we will be arresting unquestionable suspects. We are not going to arrest a fall guy,” said Obon.
NBI ready to help
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday has assured that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is ready to step in and conduct an investigation on the brutal slay.
In the meantime, the Secretary said that he will allow the local police to investigate the gruesome crime.
“We’ll let the local police take the lead muna,” Guevarra stated.
“Pag nahirapan sila (When they encounter difficulties), I’ll ask the NBI to come in,” he assured.
Mayor’s assurance
Meanwhile, Lourdes, the victim’s mother, said that Mayor Radaza had assured her not to worry about the expenses. The mayor had visited the wake twice.
“She told me not worry about the expenses because the city will shoulder everything,” Lourdes said.
The girl had served as collector at a church ministry but failed to get home Sunday night.
Read more: Christine's mom: 'I've no more tears left'