BARELY three days after a 17-year-old woman was found dead in a river in Sipalay City, another body of a female teenager was found in a sugarcane field in Barangay Binubuhan, Bago City Monday morning, January 6, 2020.
The victim was identified as Jemiah Rose Oliveros, a Grade 8 student and resident of nearby Barangay Ara-al in La Carlota City.
Authorities believe she was sexually abused.
Police Major John Joel Batusbatusan, city police chief, said the half-naked body of Oliveros was found by some residents who reported smelling a foul odor coming from a portion of the sugarcane field around 6 a.m. Monday.
Upon checking, the residents discovered that it was the body of the girl who has been missing for five days.
Batusbatusan said the teenager was last seen by her family on Wednesday morning, January 1. She was told by his father to get his cellphone from the house of Jessie Buenabeles.
The family would regularly have their phone charged at Buenabeles's house.
"The victim has to walk for about two kilometers from their house. There's a road connecting from Barangay Binubuhan, Bago City to Barangay Ara-al, La Carlota City," said Batusbatusan.
The victim, however, was not able to reach the house of Buenabeles. She also failed to return home.
The police said the victim has to pass through the area where her body was found.
"The suspects probably waited for the victim there," Batusbatusan said.
He said they have yet to wait for the result of the medical examination to determine if the victim was raped.
"It's hard to determine immediately since her body is already in advanced state of decomposition," the police chief said.
Authorities already have three persons of interest in the killing, but they refused to divulge their identities as of Monday.
Investigation is ongoing.
Last Friday, January 3, Jeralyn Casipong, of Sitio Cambogui-ot in Barangay Camindangan in Sipalay City, was found dead at the Sipalay River along Campisang Bridge in Barangay Mambaroto.
Two fisherfolk saw the victim's bloated and also half-naked body stuck at the cemented base of the bridge.
Authorities are also waiting for the autopsy result to determine the cause of death. The victim was reported missing for three days.
Investigation showed the victim had a drinking session with some of her friends. She then asked permission to leave for a while to buy something but failed to return.
Dionelo Bogtae, head of the Sipalay Emergency Assistance and Rescue Services (Sears), said "she might have been raped as all her undergarments were removed."
"It is less possible that she drowned alone since the water level at the river during that time was low," he added.