Police says suspects strangled architect to death

(Contributed Photo)
(Contributed Photo)

THE Davao City-Calinan Police Station has confirmed that the victim, who was found dead in an open canal in Barangay Dacudao, Calinan, Davao City on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, was choked to death by the suspects.

In a progress report sent to SunStar Davao on Thursday afternoon, May 18, the Police Regional Office-Davao’s Forensic Unit said the laboratory and autopsy examinations suggest that the victim, architect Vlanche Marie Bragas, 28, died due to "asphyxia by manual strangulation."

The report also stated that the victim was raped after it “showed clear evidence of recent penetrating genital trauma.”

“The incident is elevated from ‘dead body found’ into ‘rape with homicide’,” the progress report revealed.

Meanwhile, Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Director Colonel Alberto Lupaz said the victim was allegedly sexually assaulted before being choked, which might have resulted in her death.

“Naa’y kuan na gihilabtan ang babae.. Wala man siya’y mga samad, gituok lang ba, mao tong naay mga mark sa iyang nawong... mga kamras ra man ug agi sa kamot (It’s possible that the victim was sexually assaulted first, she had no attained wounds or cuts, she was just strangled that’s why she had marks on her face, we also found nail scratches),” Lupaz said in a radio interview with dxDC RMN Davao on Thursday morning.

The police official also said there is also a possibility that there are more than one perpetrator of the crime.

“Duha gyud ni ang perpetrator, kay although dili man makita, pero kung tan-awon nimo ang ‘ongbac’ nga tricycle, naay barrier didto sa likod sa driver (There are two perpetrators involved in this case. Although it cannot be seen, but if you observe the "ongbac" tricycle, there is a barrier at the back of the driver),” Lupaz said.

“So dili niya kayang kontrolon [ang biktima] kay naga drive man siya, so [posible] nga naay isa daan didto naglingkod sa sulod nga nagpugong sa iya (The design of the ongbac makes it impossible for the driver-suspect to control the victim from the former’s position. It is possible that there is someone inside the tricycle who is restraining the victim),” Lupaz added.

He also said that the suspects were “influenced by illegal drugs”.

“Base sa findings, sa mga ing-ani na kuan, mostly influenced by the illegal drugs, wala na sa balanse ang ing-ana, sa mga kasuhang ing-ani, sigurado jud ni na nalulong sa illegal drugs use (In cases like this, the behavior is mostly influenced by illegal drugs, and these individuals are no longer in a balanced state of mind. It is certain that the individual is addicted to illegal drugs),” the police official said.

However, DCPO Spokesperson Catherine Dela Rey told SunStar Davao in an online message that there are still no persons of interest as far as the crime is concerned.

They are also looking at the possibility that the driver could be liable in the incident, but further investigation will be needed.

“Wala pay person of interest po pero possible ang driver (There are still no persons of interest but the driver can be possibly at fault),” Dela Rey said.

The DCPO also elevated the case to rape with homicide incident.

Meanwhile, DCPO posted on Facebook that whoever could give information to capture the perpetrator/s, they can contact 0998-598-7054, 0916-659-2576 and (082)227-5777.

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