4 suspects charged in girl's rape-slay

The National Bureau of Investigation has finally solved the rape-slay case of a sixteen-year-old girl from Moalboal after almost three months of investigation.

The NBI filed charges of multiple rape with homicide against Joselito Tapales, Dindo Tapales, Rene Zasuela and a certain Amay Estorco after they were identified to have raped and killed Juvelyn Maano dawn of April 23 in barangay Basdiot, Moalboal.

Roger Tapales, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said that he was lying on top of a pump boat at the beach in barangay Basdiot waiting for fishermen to arrive because he wanted to buy squid when he noticed one of the suspects, Joselito, arguing with a girl.

After a while, the three other suspects arrived and the girl, whom he later identified as the victim, tried to run away. However, Dindo allegedly blocked her while Joselito punched the girl's abdomen causing her to collapse.

The suspects then took turns in raping the unconscious victim before dragging her body to a nearby open pit where they hit her head with stones. The victim's grandfather found her body in the pit the following morning.

NBI agent Gregorio Algoso, Jr. said they were able to solve the case with the help of the Moalboal police who gave them leads in the investigation.

Algoso said the eyewitness, Roger Tapales, volunteered information about the rape-slay to the Moalboal police after he was arrested for possession of illegal drugs. Tapales allegedly intimated to the police that he knew something about the death of Juvelyn, prompting the NBI and the police to conduct a joint investigation. - Fred P. Languido