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[av_heading heading=’Sara girl, 7, found dead’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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Thursday, June 22, 2017
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ILOILO City – A seven-year-old girl was found dead at the old public market of Sara, Iloilo around 1 a.m. yesterday. She may have been raped, police said.
Riza Mae Mercader of Barangay Aspera, Sara was a Grade III pupil of Ilaya Elementary School. She was naked when found and had bruises on the neck and mouth. There were bloodstains on her thighs.
Mercader was last seen alive with two teenaged lads around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Chief Inspector Ronnie Brillo, Sara police chief.
A minor and a balut vendor whom Brillo declined to identify named the two suspects as 18-year-old Jude Michael Machinal of Barangay Aldeguer, Sara and 19-year-old Jay-R Posadas of Barangay Dogman, San Dionisio town.
The suspects were taken to the Sara police station for questioning.
“We were thankful that witnesses surfaced. We were able to arrest the suspects,” said Brillo.
Posadas was a drug pushing suspect in San Dionisio. He confessed to being under the influence of drugs on Tuesday night, said Brillo.
Mercader’s parents worked at a peryahan (fiesta fair) in the town plaza. She left them to supposedly buy a bottle of soda on Tuesday night.
“The parents did not initially mind that their daughter failed to return. They assumed she was just somewhere in the plaza,’ said Brillo.
Mercader knew Posadas, he added, so it was likely that she was not forcibly taken away but willingly went with the suspects.
Mercader’s body will be autopsied.
“It would ascertain if she was indeed raped,” said Brillo./PN
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