MALACAÑANG has ordered the local police not to dilly-dally in finding the killers of the 16-year-old girl, just as an American retiree offered a P500,000 bounty on the perpetrators.
That, as the autopsy on Christine Lee Silawan revealed she bore 30 stab wounds -- one in the neck, nine on her arms and 20 on her body. She died from the stabs to her neck and body.
In her coffin, Silawan was covered in a white sheet to hide the heinous crime against her. Her killers had skinned her face so that she could be identified only through her clothing.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza visited Silawan’s home in Barangay Bankal and took care of the wake and funeral expenses.
The gruesome death of Silawan reached the attention of Malacañang, which ordered the Directorate for Investigation in Camp Crame to have it solved as soon as possible.
This is the second time Malacañang has stepped in to effect a speedy investigation of a crime. The first time was in the case of Ashley Abad, who died of ecstacy overdose on Jan. 20, 2019.
The Directorate for Investigation relayed the Malacañang order to Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Visayas Chief Debold Sinas, who brought it down to Lapu-Lapu City Police Chief Limuel Obon.
None of the killers has been arrested at press time, but the Lapu-Lapu police, Obon said, are pursuing “a person of interest.” Obon has formed a special investigation task force to focus on Silawan’s case.
The Lapu-Lapu police were able to confirm what they saw on the closed circuit television (CCTV) footage, with Silawan’s friend who ate balut with her outside the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Barangay Pajac where Silawan served as alms collector.
The CCTV footage also showed a girl dressed like Silawan sandwiched between two men on a motorcycle. It was a long shot so it could not be ascertained if the girl was Silawan.
Police Superintendent Benjamin Lara, medico-legal officer of the PNP Crime Laboratory, said that based on her arm wounds, Silawan fought off her killers.
Lara also said Silawan’s wounds tend to show that more than two men assaulted her.
Since the girl was facially unidentifiable, Lara took a dental sample to be examined.
Was the girl raped since she was found without pants and underwear and with just a shirt on? Lara said there was a vaginal laceration that had healed, but he could not see any fresh vaginal abuse.
He took a specimen from her cervix cells for testing just so he would know if Silawan was raped.
Lara also discounted the possibility that acid was poured on Silawan’s face because if it were so, her eyeballs and eyelids would have been burnt. They were intact.
Silawan was already dead for 12 hours when her body was found early morning of Monday, March 11.
A bounty was put up to find the girl’s killers.
The PRO-Central Visayas's Regional Advisory Council has offered P100,000 to any civilian who can lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
An American retiree based in Ormoc City also put up P500,000 as reward for the arrest and conviction of all those involved. (Story on 4) (MPS from reports of FVQ & AYB of SuperBalita Cebu)