Police to file rape with homicide raps vs. suspects in Grace Omadlao rape-slay

Charges of rape with homicide will be filed against the four suspects in the rape-slay of 16-year-old Grace Omadlao in Pasig City.

Senior Superintendent Orlando Yebra Jr. identified the suspects as siblings Joel Manuel, 31; Emmanuel Manuel, 27; Jomari Manuel, 22; and John Jericho Peralta, 18.

Yebra said the suspects were subjected to DNA test to determine if they indeed raped the victim. He added they will also undergo drug test.

Yebra said they still have two to three people to invite as they consider them to be persons of interest in the case.

"May dalawa hanggang tatlo pang persons of interests.  Itong apat ay nasa watch list sa drug list sa Barangay Pinagbuhatan," he said.

He said two of the suspects were arrested around 5 p.m. Wednesday, while the two others were nabbed hours later.

He said the four were positively identified by three witnesses, including a minor.

"Nagkaroon ng breakthrough dahil sa information ng impormante at witnesses na lumabas sila sa eskinita," he said.

"May witness na nakakita sa grupo ng kalalakihan na parang may hinihintay at si Grace ay kinaladkad at dinala sa eskinita. May isa pang witness na nakarinig sa kwentuhan na meron silang kukuning minor," he added.

Witness' account

A 16-year-old witness presented by Yebra to the media said he saw the three suspects while they were waiting for Grace while Peralta acted as a lookout.

"Kinapitan nila nang mahigpit yung babae, kinaladkad sa eskinita. Humihingi ng tulong si Grace pero natakot na ako dahil apat sila, nakita nila ako," he said.

He said he told what he saw to his mother.

"Hindi ko matiis, naawa ako, sinabi ko sa nanay ko," he said.

The suspects denied their involvement in the incident.

Peralta said he was sleeping when the incident happened.

"Natutulog po ako nu'ng nangyari 'yun. Pero nakipag-inuman po ako nung gabing 'yun. Ginising lang ako ng katulong namin sabi may patay daw doon," he said.

The suspects pointed to a certain Dodong as the last person who was with Grace when the incident happened.

They also mentioned a certain Arvin.

Yebra admitted the names mentioned were among the persons of interest they were looking into.

"Si Dodong, matangkad na payat. Siya ang huling kasama ni Grace. Si Arvin, 'yung naka-number 10 na jersey. Kilala mo 'yun," the suspects saying all at once to Jovita Omadlao, mother of the victim.

Jovita admitted that he knew the persons mentioned by the suspects.

Yebra said they will continue pursuing leads on the case even after the filing of case against the four suspects.

"Hindi pa masasabing case closed, tuloy tuloy habang may lumalabas na pangalan," he said.

He added the suspects can also be turned into state witnesses if they will be able to provide material evidence against the persons they were pointing to as the real perpetrators of the crime. — RSJ, GMA News