Grandfather charged for rape-slay

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Police have charged a 72-year-old man with rape with homicide in the death of his 7-year-old granddaughter more than a month ago in Lambunao, Iloilo.

The Lambunao Municipal Police Station filed the charges against the suspect, identified only as “Lolo,” before the Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on the afternoon of Dec. 15.

Police Capt. Jose Winston Biadog, Lambunao police chief, said investigators have four witnesses who identified Lolo as the person who raped and killed the child, identified only as “Bebe,” on Nov. 8 at Barangay Tampucao.

Biadog said police have a strong case against the suspect despite the absence of DNA test results from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group.

The witnesses’ testimonies are corroborated by circumstantial evidence gathered by investigators, he said.

Biadog also cited the autopsy result, which showed an old healed laceration on the victim’s genitals, indicating she had previously been sexually molested.

The suspect remains in Tampucao village, according to police monitoring.

The victim’s two cousins said they cannot believe their grandfather raped and killed Bebe.

The girls said they also stayed with their grandparents when their parents separated.

They said they were never subjected to any lascivious acts or sexual molestation.

The girls and other family members said they would believe Lolo committed the crime only if DNA results confirm it.

The autopsy conducted by medico-legal officer Dr. Owen Lebaquin showed the girl died of strangulation.

The Lambunao PNP identified seven persons of interest in Bebe’s death.

Investigators included those who were seen near the scene before and after the girl was found and those deemed capable of committing the crime.

Two of the persons of interest have previous records related to sexual molestation.

Bebe was found by her 72-year-old grandmother stuffed in a sack.

She was barely breathing, naked from the waist down and had a tie around her neck.

She was rushed to the hospital but died shortly after arrival.