The stepfather of the 15-year-old Bacolod student who was found dead in a sugarcane field in La Carlota City admitted on Friday, August 30, to molesting her but denied killing her.
Pearl Joy Galve, 15, of Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod, disappeared on July 29 and was found dead in a sugarcane field in La Carlota City on August 14. An autopsy report showed that she had been beaten up and may have been strangulated.
Rene John Nacis, alias Negro, the live-in partner of Pearl Joy’s mother, Jennifer Galve, was subpoenaed by the National Bureau of Investigation and appeared before NBI Bacolod chief Manuel Fayre Jr. on Friday, August 30.
The mother on Thursday provided the NBI with information that
she previously withheld because she had received deaths threats from Nacis, Fayre said.
Pearl Joy had been molested continuously from the age of 12 by her stepfather, Fayre said.
“He (Nacis) admitted molesting her multiple times,” Fayre added.
They are releasing Nacis from their custody but will file child abuse charges against him probably by next week, he added.
Fayre said Nacis was not willing to cooperate with the NBI and provide information on who were behind Pearl Joy’s killing.
Nacis would not answer their questions but he is not innocent, Fayre said.
“We know he is lying because of his behavior,” he added.
“We are not dealing with an ordinary criminal, we are dealing with a hardened criminal,” Fayre said, pointing out that Nacis had previously been detained at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
Nacis on August 21 sought refuge with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) where he denied involvement in the killing of Pearl Joy.
Nacis was an asset of the CIDG but they do not want him in their custody anymore as the implication would be that they were protecting him, Fayre said.
Fayre is hoping witnesses in the killing of Pearl Joy will surface to help them solve the case.
Nacis told reporters Friday that he did not kill Pearl Joy and threaten Jennifer.
He denied knowing who killed the child and said he hopes the persons responsible are conscience stricken and admit what they did.*