By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA
MANILA — The brutal killing of Christine Lee Silawan in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu is considered solved but not yet closed, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.
PNP spokesperson, Col. Bernard Banac said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Central Visayas regional office is now the lead agency handling the investigation of the case following the arrest of the 17-year-old boyfriend of Silawan — who was tagged as a “person of interest”.
He said the PNP will cooperate with NBI for the manhunt against two other suspects in the crime.
“There are two other suspects. This is why the PNP continues to extend support to the NBI. We are ready to provide all records to the NBI Regional Office 7 and we expect that this will yield results as soon as possible. As for now, the murder case is solved but not yet closed,” Banac told reporters in press briefing in Camp Crame.
Banac also said the NBI’s investigation showed that Silawan’s case is a crime of passion.
“It is because of the suspect’s ties with the victim. There is extreme anger or jealousy as far as the suspect’s ties with victim is concerned. However, our investigation team won’t stop until we uncover the truth,” he said.
On Monday, the NBI Central Visayas filed charges against the 17-year-old boyfriend of Silawan before the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office.
The NBI, however, turned over the arrested minor to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 7 (Central Visayas).
NBI Deputy Director for Regional Services Office Antonio Pagatpat told the media that the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutors Office will organize “a panel that will conduct the preliminary investigation” before filing appropriate charges against the boyfriend.
NBI-7 Regional Director Tomas Enrile said the 17-year-old boy was seen in a closed-circuit television (CCTV) together with Silawan in a subdivision at Barangay Maribago.
The suspect was caught in an operation in Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City last March 16.
Last March 11, Silayan was found dead in a vacant lot in Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City a day with her face skinned to the skull, her body with 20 stab wounds and 10 defense wounds, and her tongue, trachea, and esophagus removed.
