Police arrested Wednesday a 28-year-old construction worker hours after he allegedly raped and killed his friend’s one-year-old nephew inside of an abandoned building in Makati City.
Major Gideon Ines Jr., Makati Police Investigation Unit chief, said the suspect, Gerald Reparip, was apprehended after the baby, John Angelo Salenga, was found dead early Wednesday morning on the 34th floor of the building on Yakal Street in Barangay San Antonio, Makati.
Prior to the incident, police said Reparip had a drinking binge with the uncle of the victim and other friends on the seventh floor of the abandoned building on Tuesday night. They were celebrating the birthday of the victim’s uncle.
The family of the victim said the suspect was last seen playing with the boy while he was drinking.
When the mother noticed her son was missing, they searched for him only to find him lifeless on the 34th floor of the building.
“There was a big wood on top of the baby. Upon lifting the wood, they saw that the baby’s diaper was removed and found near him,” police said.
Reparip was arrested by police as he slept with the family.
Ines said that the boy died because of severe traumatic injuries he sustained.
“The butthole of the baby expanded. Also, there are bruises all over his body. Reparip also admitted punching and strangling the victim,” Ines said.
“We also saw semen coming out of the boy’s butthole,” he added.
The brief of Reparip, according probers, also had blood stains.
“There are bloodstains on his brief. A DNA examination will be conducted to determine if it is the blood of the boy,” police said.
The suspect said that he was so drunk that night, adding he did not mean to kill the boy.
He also asked the family to forgive him for killing the boy.
The relatives of the victim, who are caretakers of the building, said they stay on the seventh floor.
Ines said the suspect will undergo a drug test to check if he was also high on drugs during the commission of the crime.
Reparip is now held at the Makati Police headquarters’ detention cell. (Jel Santos)
