8-year-old girl found dead in QC vacant lot

An eight-year-old girl initially reported missing was found lifeless in a vacant lot in Barangay Santa Lucia, Novaliches, Quezon City on Sunday afternoon, the barangay government said.

Barangay Sta. Lucia captain Ruel Marpa said the girl was found without clothes, according to a report of GMA Integrated News' James Agustin on Unang Balita Monday.  

“Noong pumunta ako, nakabalot na po siya ng kumot kasi siguro po noong unang dumating doon yung magulang mismo nakita ng magulang na lalaki (tatay) yung anak niya binalot niya po agad ng kumot kasi natagpuan po yung bata ayon sa mga nakakita hubo't hubad na,” Marpa said.

(When I arrived there, she was already wrapped in a blanket because maybe when the father arrived there, he saw his daughter and immediately wrapped her in a blanket because according to those who saw her, the child was found completely naked.)

In a CCTV footage, the victim was seen with a boy heading to the compound where she was found. The boy was later on identified as the 13-year-old neighbor of the victim.

The boy was invited by the barangay government for questioning.  

“Sabi niya noong madaling araw, doon nga po sila pumunta sa Valbuena compound bandang dulo. Magkasama po sila. Doon sa testimony niya po ang pagkaksabi niya sa amin noong gabi na yun ay sinakal niya lang. Pagkasakal niya nawalan ng malay. Doon na po ginawa siguro yung hindi dapat mangyari,” Marpa said.

(He said early in the morning that they went to the Valbuena compound. They were together. In his testimony, he told us that night that he just strangled her. After strangling her, she lost consciousness. That's probably where he did what shouldn't have happened.)

The 13-year-old is now under the custody of the police.

Authorities are looking into the possibility that more persons were involved in the incident as they doubt that the boy was able to enter the locked compound alone.

The body of the girl will undergo an autopsy. 

The family of the victim refused to be interviewed, according to the report. GMA Integrated News has been asking for a statement from the Quezon City Police District about the incident but the police have yet to provide one as of posting time. — Joviland Rita/RSJ/KG, GMA Integrated News