|
Monday, July 31, 2006
Ex-rebel tagged as suspect in Granada rape-slay
By Roberto L. Bacasong
* A high school student saw the suspect getting out of the vicinity where the young lady's body was found almost fully naked and lifeless
* Suspect Allan Fernandez denied the allegation, claiming that he was only at the hacienda to gather firewood. It is not very clear though as to why he was looking for firewood at the treeless hacienda area
AN EX-rebel was identified by a witness as the one who raped and strangled a 14-year-old high school student to death at a canefield in Barangay Granada last Friday.
He was promptly brought to Police Station 5 on that afternoon for questioning.
The suspect was later identified as Allan Fernandez, a native of Hacienda Carmen, Barangay Granada in the afternoon of that day.
The 26-year-old Fernandez was said to be a former member of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB). He was reportedly kicked out of the group after he was found to have committed several cases of theft.
A lone female witness (name withheld by Sun.Star) told police investigators that she saw Fernandez coming out twice from the spot where 14-year-old Mary Rose Padilla was allegedly raped and killed.
She added that she was going home after attending the morning session of her secondary school classes when she saw the suspect she described as wearing a blue t-shirt, a red short and a pair of slippers.
It was her description of the suspect, which made it possible for the police to immediately swoop on the suspect, who is also a pedicab driver in the Granada area.
Fernandez denied the allegation though, saying he was only at the area to gather firewood.
Residents of Rosario Sur and Hacienda Carmen were shocked to find the young Padilla lifeless and naked, her body lying a few meters in the interior portion of the hacienda.
It was believed that she was raped and later strangled to death.
Her parents reported that she failed to return home on that Thursday.
They claimed that the girl was to attend school on that Thursday afternoon.
She usually goes home at 5 p.m.
However, she failed to return on that day, prompting her parents to look for her whereabouts.
It was only on a Friday morning that her mother, Rosalie, found her slippers lying by the roadside outside the hacienda.
Accompanied by her husband Moises, she probed the canefield until she found her daughter's nude lifeless body. The latter's neck was still strangled with the girl's brassiere and handkerchief.
As the suspect is already in police custody, Inspector Renato Ofamen considers the case already closed.
"The case is already solved because of the presence of the witness identifying Fernandez as the perpetrator," said Ofamen.
Investigator Ramon Senoro, in a separate interview, said Fernandez will be charged Monday.
He added that they brought the witness to a safehouse on the latter's request. The suspect reportedly feared for his life after he was suspected of the crime.
Senoro added that Barangay Granada residents confirmed that Fernandez was a member of RPA-ABB. Subsequent investigation also revealed that Fernandez was removed from the group because of the alleged theft and robbery cases heaped against him.
Ofamen said a Granada resident filed a complaint for physical injury against Fernandez after the former reportedly struck the victim with a hard object last week.
He also added that they subjected the suspect to a medical examination because of the fresh wound found in his left stomach.
"The result will be known today," said Ofamen.
For his part, Fernandez denied committing the crime.
"I did not kill and rape her. I was surprised that the police invited me to this police station questioning me about her death," Fernandez said in Hiligaynon.
Meanwhile, residents from the village trooped down to Police Station 5 after learning of the arrest. They said that they pity Padilla, a third year student of the Emiliano Lizares National High School.
One of the residents, who preferred not to be named, said the rape incident caused her to panic and forced her to fetch her daughter from the school after the class.
"This is the first time that this kind of tragedy happened in our village," the woman said.
Medico-legal Officer Eli Cong confirmed that Padilla died due to strangulation.
Hematomas were also found at the victim's knee, nape, shoulder, hips and thigh among others.
In his post-mortem findings, there appeared to be a struggle between the victim and the abuser before the victim died.
Cong believed that the girl was dead for about 24 hours when her body was found.
He added that there was abrasion from the victim's private organ confirming that the victim was raped before killed.
Ofamen, on the other hand, said that the family was relieved after the arrest of Fernandez.
Investigation showed that the girl's upper blouse was torn apart and her skirt and panty were removed.
The victim's mother, Rosalie, 41, said that she has last seen her daughter on Thursday morning.
Rosalie said in a separate interview that "Cutie" (the victim's nickname) left their house at 11 a.m. to attend her class but failed to return home.
The mother earlier told reporters that her daughter was not able to attend her morning class because she was not feeling well.
Rosalie added that her daughter is usually at their house by 5 p.m. after attending her class.
While, the victim's father, Moises, 41, said that he and his wife proceeded to the school but were not able to find her there. He added that they also sought the help of their daughter's classmates and friends.
Mary Rose has three other siblings namely, Rustom John, 12; Ravin Ralph, 10; and Melca Rustea, 4.
She is supposed to turn 15 on August 8. She added that her classmates are planning to celebrate her daughter's birthday at the Buro-Buro Spring in Barangay Alangilan.
(July 31, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
