This is one of the CCTV footage of the victim and the suspect recorded an hour before she was last seen alive. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Law enforcers are now looking for other suspects whom they believed have a hand in the killing of Christine Lee Silawan, who was supposed to turn 17 today, Tuesday (March 26).
Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO – 7) director, said investigators believed that “no less than three people” were involved in the gruesome killing of Silawan which sparked a nationwide outrage.
READ MORE: Body of 16-year-old church collector whose face was skinned found in Lapu-Lapu City
Sinas also said police and investigators from the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI – 7) had leads to identify the other suspects, but he refused to divulge further details in order not to preempt ongoing investigations.
“Nagfollow-up pa mi sa leads sa katong uban kay kahibalo mi katong suspects is not less than three. And naa pa migitan-aw nga lain suspects kaniadto. May leads lang pero hindi pa naidentify,” said Sinas.
(We’re doing a follow-up on the leads on the other suspect because we know that there are no less than three suspects here. And we’re also looking at other possible suspects. We already have leads but we have no identities yet.)
“That’s our agreement and that’s our assessment (together with the PNP Crime Laboratory and NBI – 7),” he added.
Silawan’s remains were buried last Saturday, March 23, in Cordova, a neighboring town of Lapu-Lapu City in Mactan Island.
READ MORE: Murdered 16-year-old Christine Lee Silawan is laid to rest
Coincidentally, it was on that day when the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office ordered the release of the 17-year-old boy tagged as the primary suspect, citing that the arrest made by NBI – 7 on March 16 in his house in Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City did not qualify as a warrantless arrest./dbs
READ MORE: Christine Lee Silawan’s family ‘shocked’ and ‘confused’ over suspect’s release