Snuffing out someone’s life is a vile act. So much so is killing an innocent, helpless girl. It is murder beyond evil.
A harrowing crime befell Tapul, a mountain barangay in Talisay City, Cebu–10-year-old Kiara Mae Namanama was found dead in a small cave near a dumpsite. The girl’s remains were in a state of decomposition.
Physical evidence hinted that the girl was raped by one or more culprits; however, the definitive answer will come from the autopsy results, which the police has yet to disclose.
Kiara Mae had been missing since Jan. 6, 2022 before her body was found on Sunday morning, Jan. 9.
The girl had gone along with her older brother and mother Cerila to the river where Cerila did her laundry in the morning of Thursday, Jan. 6.
The girl later asked permission from her mother to go along with her 12-year-old brother, who went upstream to take a dip in the water.
Kiara Mae later told her brother she would head home first.
And a three-day search ensued, which ended in the discovery of Kiara Mae’s remains.
Outraged by the girl’s murder, Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr. has offered P100,000 as reward to any person who could give information that could help the police in identifying the girl’s killer or killers.
The Talisay City Police Station said it has identified a person of interest, who may have accomplices. This person of interest was seen in the area where the girl was last seen. A person of interest is a person believed to be possibly involved in a crime, but has not been charged or arrested (Merriam-Webster).
Pursuing justice is like going through a dark tunnel. The pursuer would never know if there is a light at the end.
Searching for the real culprits and finding the truth behind a murder are never easy. These require perseverance from law enforcers and the family of the victim as chasing the devils could take years.
Despite uncertainties, justice must be pursued for Kiara Mae Namanama.