Charges dropped against ex-boyfriend for Christine Silawan murder

Christine
Flanking Christine are, left, Renato Llenes, 43, and her teenage ex-boyfriend.

Charges against a teenage boy accused of killing and mutilating his ex-girlfriend Christine Silawan have been dropped.

Exactly two months after the grisly murder, the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office has dismissed the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against the teenager today (Friday, May 10).

At the same time, the prosecutor has recommended the filing of murder charges against Renato Llenes, 43, who told police that he murdered the 16-year-old and peeled the skin off her face with a pair of scissors.

The city Prosecutor Ruso Zaragosa said there was not enough evidence that the unnamed 17-year-old had a hand in the brutal killing.

Zaragosa said he was more inclined to believe that Llenes killed Christine based on his admission of guilt and other corroborating evidence. 

This included exchanges on Facebook and CCTV footage from the evening of the murder. There are also believed to be witnesses who saw Llenes and Christine together.

As we previously reported, Llenes admitted to the crime, saying he tricked Christine into believing he was a younger man after they met on Facebook.

He told investigators that he became obsessed with Christine before murdering her on March 10 after they met in real life and she rebuffed his advances.

Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas said he was “elated” with the outcome of the case.

“We now considered this case as solved but we will be monitoring it since we are the complainant,” he said at a press conference this afternoon.

Colonel Limuel Obon, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, said they would present additional evidence in court such as results of the DNA tests.

Christine’s half-naked body was found on a vacant lot on March 11. Half of her face had been cut off while her tongue, trachea and oesophagus has been “meticulously removed“. She also suffered 30 stab wounds, the cause of her death.

Five days later, the NBI arrested her ex-boyfriend, who denied any hand in the murder. He has since been held in custody. 

Follow our Facebook page for daily news updates