Dead girl's family might ask for another autopsy

CEBU – The family of the 17-year-old girl who was found dead inside a room of a lodging house in Balamban town after checking in with a radio broadcaster, plan to ask for another autopsy by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

PO3 Celso Diaz of Balamban Police Station said the parents of the victim from sitio Awom, barangay Duangan of the said municipality may opt to seek the help of NBI if they are discontented with the autopsy report.

So far, Diaz said, they have not found any evidence that suggests foul play in the girl’s death.

Radyo Natin broadcaster Cesar Montenegro, 40 of baragay Pondol and allegedly the companion of the 17 year old, the police officer said, is therefore not considered as a suspect.

Diaz said he suggested to the family that they may seek the help of the NBI if they think the girl did not commit suicide.

Montenegro however said that he is very willing to cooperate in any investigation and is even willing to subject himself to a lie detector test.

Montenegro has denied having any relationship with the girl saying that the latter was misinterpreting his treatment of her as a “daughter” thinking that they were instead lovers.

He admitted having a slight argument with the girl, who got jealous with the text messages of his listeners.

Montenegro is the anchorman of radio program “Baranggayan.”

He said he did not stay long with the girl last Friday night and came back around 10 pm when the girl asked him to bring medicine since she was suffering from menstrual pain.

He said he even went to Oponganon’s Lodging House with his 14-year-old son that night.

However the owner of the lodging house said that both Montenegro and the girl checked in together and he did not notice what time Montenegro left.

Last Saturday morning, lodging house personnel heard the incessant ringing of a cellular phone, which prompted them to open the door using a spare key.

They found the girl kneeling beside the bed with shoe laces tied to around her neck.

According to the autopsy report, the girl died of asphyxia or loss of breath. — Ferliza Contratista/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)