Liezyl Margallo, 23, was arrested in a resort on Malapascua Island on Jan. 24, 2017. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/SONIA DE DIOS)
“Who would have thought an innocent looking young girl is the same person accused of committing vile crimes?”
This was the reaction of Sonia de Dios, who saw Liezel “Gina” Margallo on Malapascua Island.
Margallo, 23, who had 16 pending arrest warrants in Cagayan de Oro City for human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors, had been staying at Sunset Beach Resort, which was located next to the resort owned by De Dios’ sister.
Margallo, who reportedly became a sex escort to foreign tourists while in hiding from authorities for nearly two years, was on the island for two days together with two young Caucasians prior to her arrest.
According to De Dios, a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent who is a family friend showed her brother a photo of Margallo at the port of Maya just before they got on board the motor banca, which was owned and operated by her brother.
“He (NBI agent) showed the photo to Ramon, my brother, who owns Mabuhay motor banca. Ramon told our NBI friend that he thought he saw her in the island so they immediately left for Malapascua.”
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Upon arriving at the island at around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the agents immediately showed the photo of Margallo to people in the island just in time when Margallo, with her two friends, passed by them on their way to have lunch at Mabuhay restaurant.
“The NBI agent approached her and asked her ‘are you Gina?’ and she replied ‘yes’. She was then handcuffed.”
Liezyl Margallo, 23, was arrested in a resort on Malapascua Island on Jan. 24, 2017. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/SONIA DE DIOS)
De Dios said everyone on the island and who saw Margallo could not believe that she was a criminal who, in cahoots with her Australian live-in partner Peter Scully, engaged in the torture and sexual abuse of about a dozen children as young as one year old and even in the torture and killing of a 12-year-old girl.
“We kept looking at her while they were having lunch at the Mabuhay restaurant, which my brother also owns, and we could not believe it. She looked so innocent and so young,” she said.
De Dios said they are happy at the same time relieved that she was arrested.
“Who knows what they were planning while they were here. It’s a relief,” she said.
Margallo with her two friends were escorted by the NBI agents out of the island around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, De Dios said.