The Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) confirmed that the 17-year-old trainee found dead in the reclamation area in Bacolod City last week died of asphyxia by ligature or strangulation, based on the results of the autopsy released Monday, Oct. 27.
PRO-NIR Regional Director Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, in a press conference, said that semen was also found on the victim’s genitals, suggesting she may have been sexually assaulted before being killed.
The victim, whose name is being withheld by DIGICAST NEGROS, was found hogtied and half-naked in a grassy portion of Brgy. 12, Bacolod City, on October 22.
She was a trainee with a local construction company and a resident of the city.
Ibay said that investigators have identified two or more persons of interest who are currently being verified through ongoing background checks and interviews.
The Special Investigation Team led by the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) continues to conduct backtracking and forward tracking of CCTV footage around the reclamation area and nearby establishments, he said.
Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya had earlier announced a P100,000 reward for anyone who can provide information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspect or suspects.
Authorities are appealing to witnesses to come forward as police intensify efforts to bring justice to the victim and her family.
Gasataya has asked the Bacolod Real Estate and Development Corporation (BREDCO) and landowners to clear their properties at the reclamation area of tall grass to help prevent crimes from happening in the area.
The mayor said he has also directed the reactivation of all CCTV cameras of the city government in major thoroughfares to help in crime prevention.*