LAPU-LAPU CITY – Police are zeroing in on three suspects in the gruesome murder of a 16-year-old girl whose body was found in Barangay Bankal last Monday.
“It’s just a matter of time before they’ll get arrested. There are three of them and they are armed. My instruction to my men is to get them alive as much as possible,” said Senior Supt. Lemuel Obon, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office.
Obon visited the wake of Christine Lee Silawan Tuesday to assure her grieving family that the culprits will be punished.
“When I woke up this morning, I prayed that the killers will be finally arrested,” Obon told Lourdes Silawan, the victim’s mother.
Obon declined to divulge the suspects’ identities pending operations to arrest them.
“I hope I can tell everything now like why and who killed Christine but we have to withhold some information
so as not to hamper our operations,” said Obon.
Obon said the culprits are moving from one place to another, thus making it hard for the law enforcers to corner them.
While refusing to provide details, Obon said Christine was not a random victim and that what happened to her was planned.
The culprits had an “interest” on Christine but Obon said it was unlikely that she had a relationship with the assailant.
As police intensified the province-wide manhunt, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza yesterday announced that she is offering P1-million cash reward to anyone who can provide information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
Earlier, the Police Regional Advisory Council had also dangled P100,000 cash reward.
Radaza has visited Christine’s family twice since the incident.
President Duterte has been monitoring the progress of the case, according to Obon.
“I have been receiving calls from the Office of the President asking for updates on the case. We are doing our best to arrest the culprits and we will be arresting unquestionable suspects. We are not going to arrest a fall guy,” said Obon. (Calvin Cordova)
