Following her abduction in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the cousin of Jovelyn Galleno, 22, admitted raping and killing her, according to the local police.
“Sa amin po, sa PNP (Philippine National Police), inamin po nya na sya ang pumatay at nag-rape sa kanyang pinsan, so person of interest na sya,” said Puerto Princesa City police spokesperson Police Captain Maria Victoria Iquin.
“In his free will, inamin nya na sya ang pumatay at nanggahasa. Kung mayroon pa pong ibang suspects, ay yun ay patuloy nating iniimbestigahan. Inaantay po natin ang DNA testing para ma-determine natin kung ang skeletal remains na nadun sa crime scene ay si Jovelyn,” she added.
Iquin claimed that when Jovelyn’s two cousins, Yubert and Jobert, got into a violent altercation that ended with a stabbing incident, the victim’s supposed remains were found.
Iquin claimed that Jobert indicated the location of Jovelyn’s remains during the incident.
On August 23, this caused the police to investigate the Pulang Lupa grassland in Barangay Santa Lourdes.
Among the remains were several of Jovelyn’s personal items, including a black purse, a cellphone, and some identification cards.
Jovelyn’s relatives asserted that the underwear discovered with the corpses was not hers.
They also doubted the presence of skeletal remains in light of Jovelyn’s short three-week disappearance.
Jovelyn Galleno case update
“Nakapagdududa yung bungo na sinasabi nila three weeks ganun agad, linis?. Hindi ako naniniwala,” Jovelyn Galleno’s mother said. “Para sa akin hindi po ‘yon siya.”
Police detectives have requested a DNA test to determine whether Jovelyn’s remains are present.
The relatives of Jovelyn had their own reservations about their cousins being engaged in her disappearance.
A nearby neighbor claimed not to have smelled anything offensive despite living close to where the bone remains were discovered.
Many raised questions about whether Jovelyn Galleno’s remains were, in fact, hers.
There were no soft tissues discovered in the remains, according to Dr. Erwin Erfe, head of the forensic laboratory for the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
Erfe claimed that soft tissues in the bones could degrade after four to six months.
He said that it was likely that adding chemicals to the remains may cause soft tissues to deteriorate more quickly.
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