Internal organs ‘meticulously removed’ from Christine Silawan’s body

internal organs
A police medical officer has suggest that it could have taken up to two hours to carefully remove a number of internal organs from Christine Silawan’s neck.

A police medic has said internal organs were “meticulously removed” from the body of murdered Lapu-Lapu City teenager Christine Silawan.

As we previously reported, the 16-year-old was went missing after leaving a 6pm Church Mass on Sunday. When her body was discovered the following morning, it was found that she had been stabbed 30 times and had part of her face sliced off. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Today (Wednesday, March 13), medico-legal officer Superintendent Benjamin Lara said the right side of her neck had also been removed, and other body parts such as the trachea, oesophagus and tongue were also missing.

Supt. Lara, who examined the schoolgirl’s body, said the murder had been “carefully and meticulously done”, and could have taken up to two hours. He also suggested the brutal act was done to delay the identification of the victim.

“This is the first time I have come across such a case,” he said. “Those (organs) are hard to pull out actually. But of course if you’re using an object like a knife or anything, then you can do it.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The only issue is that the removal of the internal organs was meticulously done so you can’t count out the possibility that the suspect was the one who did it.”

Other police sources had previously suggested that the damage to the victim’s face could have been caused by an acid burn or scavenging animals. However, Supt. Lara pointed out that her face was so cleanly removed that not a single muscle was left on the skull. He also pointed out that the eyes were intact and undamaged. 

Although Christine was found naked from the waist down, it has not yet been confirmed whether she was raped. “I will be submitting this to the crime laboratory national headquarters for examination,” Supt. Lara added.

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, Lapu-Lapu City Police Chief Sr. Supt. Lemuel Obon said they had identified the prime suspects. However, he refused to give any further details while the hunt to locate them remains active. He added that they are considered to be armed and dangerous.

A reward fund for information to help locate the attackers has now grown to 1,600,000 pesos, including one million pledged by Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza.

As we previously reported, Christine, a Grade Nine student at Maribago National High School left Mass at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Church where she was a volunteer collector.

A few hours later, her mother, Lourdes, started to worry when her daughter failed to return home. The mother’s sister then went to the police to report that her niece was missing.

The next day, passers-by were shocked to find the body of the young woman dumped on a vacant lot in Barangay Bangkal.

Her mother identified her through her shirt, watch and bracelet.

Follow our Facebook page for daily news updates