CEBU CITY – A 10-year-old girl was found dead three days after she was reported missing in Talisay City, southern Cebu.
Police are looking into the possibility that Kiara Namanama was raped before she was killed and dumped in a cave in Barangay Tapul, Talisay.
The girl's 47-year-old mother Cerila told investigators that her child went with her to do the laundry in a river past 6 a.m. last Thursday.
While she was doing the laundry, the mother said her daughter asked permission that she would go with her older brother to swim in the river.
The mother said she finished washing clothes at 10 a.m. and started looking for her daughter.
The mother said she was told by her son that they were together swimming in the river but Kiara went home ahead.
The mother became worried when she couldn't find Kiara at home. Three days passed and Kiara was still nowhere to be found.
Last Sunday, the girl's relatives continued the search accompanied by someone who has knowledge in rescue operations.
When the group reached a cave near a dumpsite, the presence of flies directed them to an area where they saw a foot that protruded from a pile of rocks.
The group then sought help from authorities.
The body, which turned out to be Kiara, was later retrieved by police and personnel of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
Police Lt. Col. Randy Caballes, chief of the Talisay City Police Station, said initial investigation showed that there are four persons of interest in the crime.
The four persons were spotted passing by the area where the girl was also last spotted.
Cabales said the girl had her shirts on but her shorts was partly stripped off.
Talisay Mayor Samsam Gullas on Monday, January 10, announced that the city is giving P100,000 to anyone who can provide information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
"It was very painful to see Cerila cry in front of me because of what happened to Kiara. It touches deeply because my eldest child is also 10 years is also 10 years old," Gullas said.
Caballes said a Technical Working Group has been formed to focus on solving the case.
"The police are gathering information on the events, personalities and situation that led to the ghastly crime.We assure the family of Kiara that we will arrest the suspects and bring them to justice," Caballes said.