Two senior citizens were among the three suspects charged yesterday with rape with homicide, in connection with the molestation and killing of a 5-year-old child in Brgy. Malingin, Bago City, Negros Occidental.

Inspector Charmae De Paz, Public Information Officer of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, identified the respondents as Salde Caspe, 63; Job Villanueva, 61, and his son, Glen Villanueva, 40.

On Tuesday, Villanueva and his son, as well as Caspe, were initially invited for questioning by the Bago police, and later locked up in jail, as investigations were in progress.

Senior Inspector Hercules Trigue, Bago City deputy police chief, said that inquest proceedings were held at the Bago City Prosecutor's Office, before the case was filed before the Bago City Regional Trial Court.

The lifeless body of the victim, Noelita del Carmen, 5, that was placed inside a sack, and buried in a shallow grave, was discovered Tuesday by her parents and relatives, who had been searching for her since Monday, about 50 meters away from their residence at Purok Malunggay in the barangay.

The Bago police said the victim had been molested, based on the results of the autopsy.

Senior Inspector Mark Angelo Junco, Bago City deputy police chief for Operations, said they have evidence on the alleged involvement of the three respondents in the incident.

The elder Villanueva and Caspe, in an interview with ABS-CBN, vehemently denied any involvement in the case.

The slippers of the victim were found in the house of Villanueva, April, a sister of the victim, said in a radio interview.*GPB

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