Inspector Roma Bulanon, chief of the Women’s and Children’s Desk of the Muntinlupa police, identified the victim as Clarissa Dioneda Martin, 14, an American national.
Based on the initial investigation of the Muntinlupa police, Martin was abducted last Sunday at around 7:45 p.m. along EDSA in Pasay City. It was revealed that the victim was accompanying her sister to the Philippine General Hospital to undergo chemotherapy. The victim was on board a taxi in front of the Philtranco bus terminal along EDSA when a red Toyota Corolla Sedan with plate number TAY-840 blocked their path.
According to the victim’s sister Victoria Lyn, four armed men alighted from the vehicle and approached their taxi.
One of the suspects asked them if they were the nieces of Mayor Dioneda and as soon as they confirmed this, Clarissa was dragged out of the taxi. Clarissa was then taken on board the Corolla which sped-off toward the direction of Roxas Boulevard.
A day after the incident, the victim was discovered along Kawayanan Rightway, Bagong Paraiso Road, Barangay Bayanan with a shoelace tied around her neck.
The police suspected that the victim was strangled or hanged to death with the use of the shoelace.
An autopsy of the victim is also expected to be conducted once the police get the consent of the victim’s family. – Marvin Sy