Murder complaint filed against second suspect in Silawan slay

Silawan
Self-confessed killer Renato Llenes and Christine Silawan

Police have filed a murder complaint against the 45-year-old man who claimed to be the killer of 16-year-old Christine Silawan.

The complaint against Renato Llenes was filed at the prosecutor’s office in Lapu-Lapu City today (Tuesday, April 16).

ADVERTISEMENT

“Yes. We filed it at the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office,” said Colonel Limuel Obon, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office director.

This means that there are now two separate murder complaints about the schoolgirl’s killing pending at the prosecutor’s office.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has already filed a murder complaint against Christine’s ex-boyfriend who was allegedly last seen with her on the night she was killed in March.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 18-year-old was arrested by the NBI in his home in Lapu-Lapu City, five days after Christine’s mutilated body was found on a vacant lot in Lapu-Lapu. 

Christine was stabbed to death mutilated after a church service on March 11. Part of her face had been cut off, exposing her skull. Her tongue, oesophagus and trachea had also been “meticulously removed“. Her body bore 30 stab wounds.

The teenage suspect was ordered released by the prosecutor’s office on the ground that the arrest was not covered by warrantless arrest. He was released on the same day as Christine’s funeral and placed in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for his own safety. Later President Duterte intervened and ordered him to be re-arrested.

ADVERTISEMENT

Brigadier General Debold Sinas, police director for Central Visayas, said it would be up to the prosecutor’s office how to proceed with the two complaints.

While Christine’s parents acted as the complainants against the teenager, the police served as a complainant in the case against Llenes.

Previously, the police have said that the parents did not sign the affidavit as complainants against Llenes as they believed that the crime was committed by their daughter’s ex-boyfriend.

Brig. Sinas, however, maintained that they had strong evidence against Llenes — including his confession — despite the lack of support of the victim’s family.

Follow our Facebook page for daily news updates