It seems the arm of the law is too short to put the remaining suspects behind bars.
"Considering the time that has passed, the police should have already caught and identified the suspects. The police are poor in investigating Claudine’s case," said Crusade Against Violence (CAV) president Carina Agarao.
Claudine was pursuing a promising career when five men snatched her on the night of March 10, 2001. She had a degree in Human Resource Management from the De La Salle University.
Agarao noted that after choir practice that day, Claudine drove a friend to the latter’s home in Ayala, Alabang.
"Later, on her way home to Parañaque, a group of men signaled her that a tire of her car was flat. Claudine got off to inspect the tire and the men snatched her," she added.
Claudine was found naked and dead the following day in a creek near the Parañaque City Hall.
"It turned out that Claudine was still alive when she was dumped into the creek. Her head hit a rock and she died a slow death," she said.
So far, only three suspects — Nieves Constantino, 30; Ernesto Berry, 26, and Donardo Pagkalinawan, 45, have been arrested by the police. They are facing charges of rape with homicide before the Parañaque City Regional Trial Court.
The other suspects, identified as Daniel Darden and a certain Burog, remain at large. — Sheila Crisostomo