Girl, 8, killed over family debt

The failure of the family of an eight-year-old girl from Pasig City to pay their P30,000 debt from a loan shark couple triggered her abduction, torture, rape and murder in Taytay, Rizal last Jan. 21.

Police have in its custody five of the suspects in the killing of Maricris Labarientos, a grade 2 pupil of the San Miguel Elementary School.

Senior Superintendent Francisco Uyami Jr., Pasig City police chief, identified the suspects as Evelyn Amaba, Elvin Gonzales, Santiago Villanueva, one alias Rigor and a security guard.

Three other suspects — Amaba’s live-in partner, Ely Gonzales, and two others identified through their aliases as Bayawak and Ampaw — are now the subject of a police manhunt.

Police said the girl’s mother, Mylene Labarientos, a vegetable vendor at the Mutya ng Pasig public market, borrowed P30,000 from Amaba and her partner Ely, who are engaged in "five-six" lending business.

"The girl’s mother was able to pay the interest of the money but only on a staggered basis," said Uyami.

At 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 21, Amaba, her partner Gonzales, Elvin and Santiago arrived at Labarientos’ house looking for the mother demanding payment.

Maricris told the group that her mother was at the market.

Amaba’s group told the girl to accompany them to the market. They took the girl when they couldn’t find Mylene.

Gonzales claimed that Amaba strangled the girl with her bare hands until she lost consciousness. They went to a public cemetery in Taytay where Amaba ordered the group to rape the child.

Ampaw allegedly first raped the child, followed by Bayawak, Elvin and Villanueva. Elvin said Amaba strangled the girl to death when they were done.

Ampaw then used a blowtorch and burned the girl’s face to make it unrecognizable, before dumping her body into a creek.

Amaba was arrested last Jan. 23 after witnesses Carmelo Lopez and a certain Liwayway pointed to her as among those who were seen with the girl at the market. She has been charged with kidnapping.