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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider Mayor vows justice for murdered 13-year-old girl

Mayor vows justice for murdered 13-year-old girl

Published Apr 29, 2026 05:47 pm
BACOLOD CITY – The municipality of Candoni in Negros Occidental condemned the murder of a 13-year-old girl whose body was found in Barangay Poblacion West, Candoni this week.
Mayor Ray Ruiz has directed the Candoni Municipal Police Station to conduct a thorough and urgent investigation on the death of Rica Grace Simple of Barangay Haba, Candoni.
“We strongly condemned this brutal act,” Ruiz said in a statement as he sought justice for her death. “The loss of a child is a pain no family and no community should ever bear. Justice will be served,” he added.
Ruiz said they are committed to ensuring those responsible are held fully answerable under the law.
He said they are currently awaiting autopsy results to establish the facts and guide their next legal steps. “This is not merely the loss of a life; it is the unjust loss of a future filled with promise,” the mayor said.
He condoled and prayed for her family and assured immediate financial and welfare assistance.
“Let us pray for the eternal repose of Rica Grace, for the strength of her family, and for the swift delivery of justice,” he said.
Ruiz appealed to the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information on social media, out of respect for the grieving family and to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
He urged people relevant information to immediately coordinate with authorities.
The victim was found dead with injuries in the forehead in a sugarcane field on Monday night, April 27, a day after she failed to return home from an errand from her mother on Sunday, April 26.
Follow-up investigation is ongoing.

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Candoni Negros Occidental Murder Deaths Crime Mayor Ray Ruiz Teenage girl
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