An odd find early morning yesterday shocked the city residents when it turned out to be a body of a rape victim dumped in the bush several meters from the roadside along B. Inting St. Extension near the TESDA building in barangay Cogon.
Police Senior Inspector Jacinto Mandal Jr., chief of the crime investigation section of Tagbiilaran City Police station, said the victim’s first cousin identifed her as Rodalyn Gamba, a 20-year-old a student of the University of Bohol taking up Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Mandal further said the victim hailed from barangay Banderahan, Valencia, but was staying in a boarding house at Espuelas St., this city.
The City Tactical Operation Center (CTOC) of the city police station received a telephone call at around 6:06 a.m. yesterday from a concerned citizen, informing that a dead person was found along the grassland at B. Inting St. extension.
A team from the city police, led by Mandal and the officer of the day–Police Senior Inspector Albert Quilitorio, together with the duty criminal investigator PO1 Jess Francis Monton, Quick Reaction Team personnel and intelligence operatives proceeded to the area to verify the information.
Onlookers already crowded the area when the police team arrived.
The police team found the victim’s body covered with pieces of trash in the secluded area.
At first, nobody in the crowd identified her and was only described as having fair complexion, a mole at the forehead, long black hair up to the waistline, wearing a blouse with floral print and blue maong pedal pants.
Investigators estimated the victim’s height to range from four feet and eight inches to four feet and 10 inches.
The Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) from the Bohol Police Provincial Office of Camp Dagohoy arrived at around 7:40 a.m.
The SOCO recovered a pair of panties from the left pocket of the victim’s maong pedal pants.
Based on the post-mortem examinations conducted by Dr. Teomin Casano of City Health Office, the victim died from a stab wound on the left side of the neck and another stab wound on the upper left portion of the forehead.
Based on the initial investigation conducted at the crime scene, a certain Rex Limbaga—also known as Rica, a 33-year-old beautician residing at Sitio Karaw-an in barangay Dampas, this city–was the one who first saw the victim’s body.
Limbaga told the police that at around 6:00 a.m. near the area, he met a guy with height of five feet, clad in green t-shirt, maong cargo shorts and jogging shoes, and with barber-type hairdo.
They agreed to engage in an intimate act for P50 at the vacant lot nearby.
Limbaga said that after their activity and after the man received the P50, the latter proceeded to the roadside where he boarded a tricycle.
Limbaga said he remained at the area for personal necessity and just then he saw the foot of the woman lying on the ground, covered with trash.
It prompted him to seek for police assistance.
Further examination of the body showed that the victim was raped and the laceration was still fresh when she was found.