THE suspect behind the alleged rape-slay of a 10-year-old girl has surrendered to the police in Claveria town, Misamis Oriental after the victim's cadaver was found at dawn on Saturday, March 4, 2023.

In a statement, the Claveria Municipal Police Station identified the suspect as Ariel Limas, 28, married and a resident of Sitio Minantang, in the same town.

The police said he admitted to the alleged rape-slay of Sophia Bual, who went missing on March 1.

Initial police investigation showed that the victim was on her way home from school when the suspect snatched her.

The family of the victim sought help from the police and the community, including the local government.

The victim's grandfather, a retired policeman, initially thought that the suspect's father was a person of interest due to a scratch they found on him.

The suspect, however, eventually confessed to the crime and led authorities to the location of the victim.

At the location in Sitio Ban-Ban, Barangay Ane-I, investigators retrieved the cadaver of the victim, who was placed in a sack and submerged in a creek, using rocks to weigh the body down.

The Regional Forensic Unit 10 brought the cadaver to this city subject for autopsy.

Kenneth Bual, the victim's father, thanked the local government, the police, and the community for their help.

"I could hardly recognize my daughter (after the retrieval of her cadaver). I will leave it to God to deal with the one who did this. I hope you will regret what you did to my daughter," the victim's father said. (PNA)