By Glazyl Masculino BACOLOD CITY – The decomposing body of an eight-year-old girl, who was reported missing by her parents 18 days ago, was found in Barangay Andulauan in Ilog, Negros Occidental Wednesday, March 25.
(Ilog Municipal Police Station / MANILA BULLETIN)
Ilog Police Chief Maj. John Ganzon said the girl was positively identified by her parents after her body was discovered at a sugarcane plantation in Barangay Andulauan.
The victim was last seen by her parents on March 7 when they brought her to the public market in Kabankalan City where she went missing.
According to her parents, they had asked her to go on an errand, but she never returned.
Policemen are looking into the possibility that the victim was raped before she was murdered.
Ganzon said the child was half-naked when found, indicating a possible sexual molestation.
But he underscored that they have to wait for the results of the autopsy on the victim before they could come to any conclusion.
Ganzon also said investigators have yet to determine how the child reached Ilog town, or if she was abused at the sugar cane plantation or if her body was just left in the area.
He said they already have a person of interest, but they were not yet sure if one or more persons were behind the killing.
They are coordinating with the Kabankalan City Police Station for a possible lead on the perpetrator.