By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG,
NITZ ARANCON
and JOEY NACALABAN
Correspondents
A VILLAGER stumbled on the body of a teenager who was brutally killed apparently after being sexually abused at the back of a church in Barangay Natumolan, Tagoloan in Misamis Oriental, at around 5 am yesterday.
Police identified the victim as an 18-year-old from neighboring Villanueva town. Her mother Ana confirmed that the victim was her daughter.
Police said the victim’s neck was slit with a piece of a broken glass.
Investigators said the body was found by one Roselier Jabagat who quickly informed the police about the gruesome murder.
Jabagat, 59, said he was in the area looking for recyclable trash in an abandoned and dilapidated house owned by one Luis Gamber who is in the US.
“Pagkakita nako naghigda na, kita nako magkadugo unya iyang panty gisungsong sa iyang baba,” said Jabagat.
Crime scene investigators said the victim was apparently raped.
Lt. Romeo Adlaon said police found the victim half-naked and her underwear was rammed down her throat
“Ang iyang karsones nahubo na hangtud sa iyang tuhod ug ang iyang senina gipataas hangtud sa iyang ilok,” Adlaon said.
He said police collected some fluid specimen from the victim’s privates for laboratory examination.
Police said witnesses have come forward like one habal-habal driver who said he saw the victim with a group of four people: two female and two male.
He said the group was in a drinking binge along the Tagoloan Bridge.
Another, a woman, said she she and her friends saw from a house terrace two young women dragging another female at around 11 pm Saturday.
“Wala lang namo gibadlong kay abi namo mga barkada lang nga nag-away. Gibira-bira ang buhok sa biktima ug padulong sila sa likod sa simbahan,” she said.
Natumolan barangay chairman Rafael Vidal said he suspected that the victim was a member of a notorious gang and that she was killed by its members.
Vidal said the gang has about 60 members who have become a threat to the village’s peace and order.
