ILOILO — A formal charge of rape with homicide was filed on February 7 against a 27-year-old man, identified as alias “Dodoy,” for the brutal sexual assault and killing of his 18-year-old niece in Barangay Owak, Calinog, Iloilo.
The victim, identified by the alias “Anna,” was a dedicated student and volleyball player with dreams of becoming a police officer. Her lifeless body, wrapped in a blanket, was discovered in her bedroom on the morning of February 4.
The case was initially reported to authorities as a suicide. According to Police Major Myles Dieron, chief of the Calinog Municipal Police Station (MPS), investigators were first alerted to a possible suicide attempt after a hospital received the victim’s body.
However, Anna’s family immediately suspected foul play. Relatives noted that the victim had a known phobia of blood and showed no signs of distress that would lead to self-harm. Upon closer inspection, the family observed strangulation marks around her neck and a head wound, which investigators believe was sustained while her body was being dragged across a concrete floor.
A subsequent autopsy confirmed the family’s fears: Anna had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death.
In a disturbing attempt to evade justice, the suspect allegedly staged the scene to mislead the police. Investigation revealed that after killing his niece, Dodoy slashed her wrist to simulate a suicide.
“It’s incredibly painful; how can you lose your child like this? What makes it worse is that it was done by her own uncle,” said the victim’s mother, Len, in Hiligaynon in an emotional interview. “Sobra sobra gid ya kasakit… ang masakit pa gid nga ang naghimo, natuon pa sa tiyo.”
At the time of the attack, the only other person in the house was Anna’s grandfather, who is visually impaired and was unaware of the tragedy unfolding in the next room.
The suspect, the second cousin of the victim’s mother, surrendered to authorities and confessed to the crime on February 6. He is currently detained at the Calinog MPS.
The suspect’s brother, alias “Tino,” confirmed the confession: “He was interviewed by a lawyer; he admitted he wrapped her in a blanket, raped her, and slashed her wrist… he admitted he killed her.”
The suspect claimed he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, stating he lost self-control. While he has publicly asked for the family’s forgiveness, the Calinog community remains in a state of shock and outrage, calling for the maximum penalty for the heinous crime./PN
