Arrested suspect in Cebu teen slay confesses
Credit to Author: RHEA RUTH ROSELL| Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 11:11:47 +0000
A SUSPECT in the killing of a female teen in Cebu in March confessed to the crime following his arrest in Lapu-Lapu City this week.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde presented Renato Llenes, 43, of Sitio Tigcahon in Barangay Bangkal to the media at the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) on Thursday.
Llenes, unemployed, was arrested for illegal possession of a caliber .45 pistol with loaded magazine by the Lapu-Lapu City Police and the Regional Crime Investigation and Detective Unit in Central Visayas (RIDU-7) in Barangay Bankal at about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police also found a pair of scissors and Llenes’ shirt with bloodstains.
Albayalde said Llenes executed an extra-judicial confession on the killing of Christine Lee Silawan, 16, with the assistance of private lawyer Manuel Degollacion and a lawyer from the Public Attorney’s Office on Tuesday.
Albayalde said Llenes was identified through closed-circuit television (CCTV) and based on his exchanges with Silawan on Facebook and Messenger.
Albayalde said Llenes confessed that he and Silawan met through Facebook in November 2018 and met personally on March 10, the day she was killed.
Llenes, who went by the name Cj Diaz on Facebook, told reporters that he had a relationship with Silawan who had described him as “very handsome.”
Llenes said that he and Silawan agreed to meet at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Church on March 10 but ended up killing her between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. with a pair of scissors after she admitted to him that she was no longer a virgin.
Speaking in Visayan, Llenes said that he stabbed Silawan several times because he got jealous and that at the time of the killing admitted that he was under the influence of drugs but denied that he raped her.
Albayalde said Llenes peeled off Silawan’s face so that she would not be identified.
Llenes said he got the idea of peeling off Silawan’s face through the “Momo Challenge” video posted on Facebook and YouTube.
Albayalde said Llenes took Silawan’s bag after peeling off her face and brought it with him.
Albayalde told reporters that on March 11, Llenes heard the news that Silawan’s body was found on the vacant lot at the back of Pacific Villa Subdivision, Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Bankal.
“He (Llenes) was haunted by his conscience and [felt] pity [for] the innocent boy arrested by NBI-7 (National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas) and the victim, Christine. He went into hiding, moving from Mandaue City to Cebu City Cathedral every day,” Albayalde said.
“I am asking for forgiveness. I felt guilty. I was under the influence of drugs and I was afraid because my head has a bounty,” Llenes said in Visayan.
Llenes said that he wanted the suspect who was arrested by NBI-7 to be released. “He (teen suspect) was not involved I do not know him,” Llenes said.
A background check revealed that Llenes was on the drug watchlist of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office and was arrested for violating Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, but was out on bail.
Degollacion said that charges of illegal possession of firearms and violation of the Commission on Elections Gun Ban against Llenes were filed with the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday as murder charges were also being prepared against him.
Degollacion said he believed that the extra-judicial confession of Llenes was admissible in court as evidence.
“It was documented even if he did not reveal where he threw (the peeled off face of Silawan),” said Degollacion.
“I believe because the confession was made with the assistance of counsel and all the elements of free and voluntary was conducted during the confession,” Degollacion said.
Degollacion said that he was requested by police to assist Llenes, but clarified that he would not be his defense counsel.
The victim’s parents, Lourdes Silawan Pardillo and Mario Pardillo, were also present during the media conference but declined to answer questions from reporters since they needed to leave early to commemorate the first month since their daughter was killed on March 10.
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