Teener raped, killed in Lapu-Lapu

CEBU, Philippines - A 17-year-old deaf-mute was found dead in a secluded area of sitio Masulog, barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City last Monday afternoon.

Believed to be raped by more than one man was “Ema” (name withheld), a native of sitio Pine Tree, barangay Mohon, Sogod and temporarily living with her sister Irene.

Ema was found half naked in a grassy and secluded area, said police inspector Jun Pastorfide of the Homicide Section of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office.

A certain Jerry Rondina, a native of Leyte and a stone craft worker, was about to answer the “call of nature” when he found the lifeless body in a state of decomposition.

“Nanimaho man unya mao man akong nakit-an nga gidugukan sa langaw,” Rondina alleged. (A stench was coming from the area and flies were surrounding the body.)

Ema was last seen on June 11 together with her friends attending a benefit dance in the said barangay.

Her friends claimed they were all drunk when Ema excused herself to buy iced water outside the dancing area but she never came back.

On June 12, Irene went to the Women’s and Children’s Desk of the Lapu-lapu City Police Office and reported her missing sister.

“Dili na kaayo maklaro ang nawong unya iyang underwear naa na sa left nga paa,” Fortefide told The Freeman. (It was difficult to identify her face and her underwear was at her left leg.)

Dr. Nestor Sator of the PNP Crime Laboratory who conducted an autopsy revealed that Ema was hit with a hard object, based from the wound between her two eyebrows and nose bridge. Contusions and bruises were also found in both her arms and different parts of her body.

Sator said Ema was possibly killed early dawn of Sunday after she was raped by more than one person.

“There could be more than one suspect kay dako na man ni siya so inig resist niya naa pay makapugong,” Sator told The Freeman.

The police said they are now pursuing leads for the arrest of the assailants. – (FREEMAN)