The police assured the parents of an 11-year-old rape-slay victim in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, yesterday, that it is duty bound to enforce the law without fear or favor.

Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, city police chief, made the assurance in the wake of reports that a policeman negotiated with the parties so charges will not be filed against a 15-year-old tagged as a suspect in the molestation and death of Heide Obansa,11, in Brgy. Prosperidad, San Carlos City, on July 23. De la Paz, said he is even willing to present the policeman referred to Geraldo Obenza, father of the victim, for identification purposes.

He added he will not hesitate to impose disciplinary actions on any of his men who commit infractions.

Heide was raped, stabbed and left to die in a cave in Sitio Pinag-ubongan of the barangay, her father told the National Bureau of Investigation.

De la Paz said the 15-year-old who was also tagged as the suspect in the molestation of a 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy last year, and in May this year, was placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for two days, in connection with the rape-slay of Heide.

However, the suspect was released by the DSWD to his parents after the case filed before the San Carlos City Prosecutor's Office was not accepted for lack of evidence, he added.

De la Paz said they are trying to solve the case, despite the absence of an eyewitness to the killing of Obenza. "All our evidences are purely circumstantial as of this time," he added.

Shortly before the incident, the suspect was seen near the crime scene, police investigations showed.

Obenza sustained four stabbed wounds in the neck, lower part of her chest and in her back, an autopsy report of Dr. Severo Atamosa, city health officer, showed.

The post-mortem examination on the body of the victim by Atamosa noted the absence of hymenal laceration or injuries in her genitals, de la Paz said.

Police records show the suspect was also charged with rape for previously molestating a 13-year-old. However, the complaint was dismissed due to the non-appearance of the victim in court.

De la Paz said they found out that the rape complaint was amicably settled by both parties.

The suspect was again tagged as a suspect in the molestation of a 12-year-old boy on two occasions, in May, police records also showed.

De la Paz said he welcomed the probe on the killing of Obenza to be conducted by the NBI, which has offered to initiate an autopsy on the body of the victim, to substantiate the claims of Gerardo that his daughter was raped.

He added that they will file charges against the suspect for the molestation of the 12-year-old boy. "We need also the cooperation of the victim and her parents," de la Paz said.

Police probers are scheduled to get the testimonies of probable witnesses in the rape-slay of Obenza today.*GPB

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