Suspects in girl's rape-slay hunted

MANILA, Philippines - Police are hunting down at least two suspects in the rape-slay of a 16-year-old balut vendor in Caloocan City on Tuesday.

Senior Police Officer 1 Louie Ramos said the half-naked body of the victim identified as Clarisse Boyles was found yesterday at a vacant lot on Purificacion street, Mountain Heights Subdivision in Barangay 183. She also bore strangulation marks, police said.

Ramos said that a kin of the victim was tagged as one of the suspects but he declined to elaborate, saying their investigation was still ongoing.

The victim left their house at 5:30 p.m. last Monday to sell balut in the neighborhood but failed to return home. – Pete Laude, Jerry Botial