BY EUNICE MEDALLA
BACOLOD City – The 15-year-old Grade 10 student from Barangay Sum-ag in this city passed away due to physical assault and strangulation as confirmed by an autopsy examination.
Lieutenant Colonel Lymel John Pasquin, chief of the La Carlota City Police Station, confirmed that blunt force trauma was the victim’s cause of death.
He said autopsy results showed an injury to the victim’s head, neck, chest, stomach, waist, hands, and feet.
Authorities, however, cannot yet confirm if the victim was sexually assaulted. Investigation was ongoing.
Pasquin added that they were looking into the possibility of a grudge as the motive in the killing. He said the suspect may have held a grudge against the victim.
Pearl Joy Galve was found dead inside a sugarcane plantation in Hacienda San Roque, Barangay Cubay, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental on August 14. She was reported missing since July 29.
Police said the victim was found with her mouth covered with duct tape and hands tied behind her back.
Meanwhile, the Bacolod City Government is offering a cash reward of P50,000 to anyone who could give credible information that could lead to the identification and arrest of the suspect in the killing of Galve. /PN
