DAVAO DE ORO — Sympathy and grief have poured in from the netizens who have read about the circulating posts on social media regarding the tragic death of an 8-year-old girl who was found dead amid the banana plants at Purok Cape 2, Magcagong, Maragusan, at 1 p.m. on February 26, 2024.
In an interview by SunStar Superbalita Davao with Romeo Tublag, Information Officer of the Local Government Unit of Maragusan (LGU-Maragusan), it was revealed that the victim was reported missing at around 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 25, 2024.
Tublag said, that according to a report reaching him, the victim was not on good terms with her family and had left home without their knowledge when she went missing.
At around 1 p.m. on February 26, 2024, her mother found her lifeless body under the banana plants.
It was reported that the victim was intentionally killed as she had been struck by a large rock on her waist. She was also allegedly raped.
Tublag further disclosed that in the same afternoon, the authorities were able to capture the suspect, identified as Cristobal Tanya, a 59-year-old farmer and the victim's neighbor.
The suspect was pointed to have committed the crime based on the evidence collected at the crime scene, which includes a charger, cigarettes, and pubic hair found near the location of the victim.
Tanya was seen by a witness buying a cigarette in a store and was the only person to charge his flashlight at the time when the victim went missing.
Meanwhile, in a statement by Maragusan Mayor Lito Cabalquento, he advised all parents to remain watchful over their children, especially if they are still minors.
The suspect still denies the allegations against him as he is placed under the custody of the authorities while the investigation is still ongoing. DTV/Translated by Ezekiah Morales and Mary Cris Eusebio, DNSC Interns