CEBU CITY – With a menacing look and struggling to fight back tears, Lourdes Silawan Pardillo’s eyes were glued to a man seated just a few meters across her.
The man clad in a prison orange shirt was Renato Payuman Llenes, the 42-year-old man who admitted killing Pardillo’s daughter Christine Lee last March 10 in Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City.
With no less than Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde in attendance, Llenes was presented before the media yesterday at the Sinagtala Hall of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7) headquarters.
“I want to ask forgiveness from her (Christine) family,” said Llenes in Cebuano after Albayalde narrated how the police were able to track down the suspect.
Lourdes, who repeatedly wiped off her tears during the whole proceeding, and her husband Mario, declined to grant media interview.
“The suspect, assisted by two lawyers, a private lawyer and one from the Public Attorney’s Office, has executed an extra-judicial confession. We believe with his admission because he is very consistent with his confession according to the two lawyers,” said Albayalde.
Llenes has five children who is known as a street-level pusher and a drugs user in his barangay, police said.
“He owned up the crime because he was haunted by his conscience,” Albayalde said.
Police Col. Limuel Obon, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, said they were able to identify Llenes through several footages showing the suspect and Christine together hours before the gruesome crime happened.
According to Obon, it was in October of last year when the communication between Christine and the suspect started through Facebook.
Christine sent a friend request to a certain CJ Diaz, not knowing it was a poseur account created by Llenes.
Llenes also used two other fake Facebook accounts in befriending Christine. The two fake accounts were under the names of Marielyn dela Cruz and Rhainheart LLenes.
“The suspect made it appear that Marielyn and Rhainheart were his sisters to boost his integrity,” said Obon.
Christine had exchanges with the three not knowing that those three accounts were managed by just one person.
After several communications through Facebook messenger and texts, the two finally agreed to meet last March 10 at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu.
When the two met, Christine was surprised that the CJ Diaz was too old for the boy she came to know on Facebook.
“I told her, I was CJ Diaz. She didn’t believe at first but I was able to convince her. She didn’t get mad,” said Llenes.
Llenes convinced Christine to go with him until they reached a vacant lot in Barangay Bankal where the victim was found dead last March 11.
Admitting that he was high on illegal drugs, Llenes said he became jealous after the girl told him that she was no longer a virgin.
The two had a quarrel, according to Llenes, prompting Christine to walk out but was prevented by the suspect.
A scuffle ensued until the man drew a pair of scissors and repeatedly stabbed the girl. The suspect said he brought the scissors at the time since he was supposed to have his haircut on that day.
Llendes said he attempted to rape the girl but did not push through.
“He still tried to satisfy his carnal desire but no penetration has been made for the reason of no erection,” said Albayalde.
Llenes said he peeled the skin of the victim’s face using the scissors so she would not be identified.
Llenes she got the idea of peeling off the skin through watching videos on Youtube and Momo challenge.
Llenes left the victim dead, bringing with him her bag and the peeled skin.
Llenes said he cleaned himself up in a deep well but couldn’t recall where he threw the bag and the peeled skin.
Obon said they were able to track down LLenes when someone was able to identify him as the man who was with Christine in one of the security camera footages that they recovered.
Another person also helped the police trace the suspect’s whereabouts.
“When we were able to trace him, it was his family, including his live-in partner, who squealed that it was Llenes who owns the three fake Facebook accounts,” said Obon.
Llenes was arrested in his home in Barangay Bankal last Tuesday morning.
Obon said they recovered the scissors used in the crime and a black shirt believed to have been worn by the suspect during the crime since it had bloodstains.
The recovered items will be subjected for DNA testing.
Charges of illegal possession of firearms and violation of election gun have been filed against Llenes after a .45 caliber pistol was recovered from him during the arrest.
A murder case will be filed against him on Monday next week, Obon said.
Llenes said he decided to admit the crime since he also pitied the teenager that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had arrested as a suspect also in the crime.
“I want the boy to be released. I pity him,” Llenes said.
The NBI 7 has insisted that they will pursue the murder case that they filed against the teenager, who is currently in the custody of social workers in Lapu-Lapu.
Albayalde said the police have been coordinating with the NBI 7.
“We will file a separate case since we have a different suspect. It will be up to the court to appreciate the two cases,” Albayalde said. (Calvin Cordova)
