Grade 12 student allegedly raped, found dead at fish pond in Pangasinan

A Grade 12 student who is believed to have been raped was found dead in a fish pond in Basista, Pangasinan over the weekend.

In a report on Balita Pilipinas on Tuesday, Joan Punsoy said the victim was found without her shirt, bruises, and in a state of decomposition at Sitio Ambalingit Dumpay on Saturday afternoon.

The victim, identified as Joanna Rose Español, was a student at Dumpay National High School. She was last seen on Wednesday afternoon on her way home from school.

"Hindi mo na ma-identify because iyong cadaver is nasa state of decomposition, so nag-bloat na yung katawan ng batang ito," Senior Inspector Buenaventura Benavides III said.

Alma Español, the victim's mother, said she thinks that her daughter was raped as evidenced by her bruises.

"Ang alam ko ni-rape iyon kasi iyong hitsura lang niya eh, pinahirapan siya eh... tsaka ang daming pasa sa tiyan dito, lahat sa likod," Español said.

Español said that her daughter dreamt of becoming a teacher and working abroad to help her family out of poverty. The mother expressed hope that the suspect would surrender to authorities.

"Sana po sumuko na lang siya para ano, mabigyan naman ng hustisya anak ko. Grabe naman 'yung ginawa sa anak ko eh parang binaboy na eh, mabuti kung ano lang siya... pinahirapan pa eh," Español said.

Authorities have yet to identify a suspect and Joanna's exact cause of death.

"At ngayon po  [kami] naka-schedule sa [criminal laboratory] ng Provincial Headquarters para i-autopsy po yung cadaver nung bata," Benavides  said. — Marlly Rome C. Bondoc/MDM/KVD, GMA News