The student from Bacolod City who was found dead in a sugarcane field in Barangay Cubay, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental was laid to rest.

A mix of gloom, rage, and public outcry for justice shrouded the holy service leading to the interment of 15-year-old Pearl Joy on August 19, 2024.

Members of her family, relatives, classmates, friends, and the principal of Sum-ag National High School where she was enrolled as a Grade 10 student, were in mixed emotions while the Requiem Mass was offered at the Saint John Nepomuceno Parish Church in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City.

After the Holy Mass, some members of Pearl Joy's grieving family passed out because of the sorrow the incident has caused upon them.

“Hindi namin matanggap ang ginawa niyo kay Pearl Joy. Kung sino ka man, walang awa ang ginawa mo sa kanya,” Kyla Cortez, the victim’s cousin, expressed.

Jennifer Galve, the mother, could only hope for justice to be served the soonest.

“Hindi ko matanggap ang ginawa nila sa yo, nak. Sana mabigyan na ng hustisya ang pagkamatay niya,” Jennifer said.

Members of the family of Pearl Joy’s biological father attended the funeral Mass and condoled with the Galve family. However, her father was not around. It was learned that he is already living permanently in Manila.

“Kung sino man ang may gawa nito, sumuko ka na para mabigyan ng hustisya ang pamangkin ko,” Janet Alcala, an aunt of the victim, said.

Dr. Warlito Rosareal, principal of Sum-ag National High School, joined in the family’s call for justice.

“We would like to call on the president of the Republic of the Philippines to order our PNP chief, our NBI, particularly La Carlota PNP…first time itong nangyari,” Dr. Rosareal said.

Saint John Nepomuceno Parish Church has condemned likewise the incident through a pastoral declaration.

Meanwhile, in a separate investigation of the National Bureau of Investigation-Bacolod City, Pearl Joy’s stepfather is already considered one of persons of interest.

Her stepfather, alias “Rene,” earlier helped in tracing her whereabouts when she went missing. However, the stepfather was observed to have not come home beginning on August 9, 2024 days after Pearl Joy went missing. In an earlier report, it was determined that he also stopped communicating with the victim’s mother, Jennifer.

On August 14, 2024, Pearl Joy's body was found in a sugarcane field in La Carlota City. 

“Hindi pa namin sina-sideways, kasama siya sa persons of interest namin,” NBI Bacolod District Office Executive Officer William de Arca, Jr. said.

The NBI has not elaborated on the details of the investigation yet, but confirmed it is possible the number of perpetrators could be more than one.  

“Not only the stepfather, naghahanap pa kami ng iba pa. Sabi ko, hindi ito kayang gawin ng isang tao lang,” de Arca pointed out.