A student in Bacolod City who went out allegedly to meet a chatmate was found dead in La Carlota City in the Province of Negros Occidental.

Pearl Joy, 15 years old, was found lifeless in a sugarcane field in Barangay Cubay, La Carlota City on August 14, 2024.

Her mother, Jennifer, identified positively Pearl Joy’s remains through the clothes she wore.

Jennifer said that Pearl Joy is a Grade 10 student at Sum-ag National High School in Bacolod City.

She said that prior to the incident, her daughter requested for load credits to her cellphone and communicated to a cousin via chat.

Pearl Joy asked her cousin to be accompanied to a place that Jennifer could not identify. However, the cousin declined to come with her.

“Sang ato na siya sa eskwelahan, gin-chat niya kuno nga siling niya updi ko ba karon sa udto kay maka-motor na ko karon. Ang iya pakaisa wala ya nag-upod sa iya (Nang nandoon na sa paaralan, nag-chat daw siya na sabi niya, 'samahan mo naman ako mamayang tanghali kasi magkaka-motor na ako mamaya.' Ang kanyang pinsan, hindi sumama sa kanya,” Jennifer said.

Pearl Joy left her bag at school but failed to return.

Witnesses said that Pearl Joy was last seen at a road crossing in Abuanan, Barangay Sum-ag, waiting seemingly for someone.

Jennifer is convinced that her daughter has a chatmate and that they were about to meet at that time Pearl Joy was last seen at the crossing.

According to the La Carlota City Police, it is not determined yet which place the victim was slain, as it is more likely she was left in the sugarcane field but that the crime was not perpetrated there.

“Wala gid may na-recover. We are hoping nga may makita kami nga ebidensya. Daw ginbilin lang gid to siya didto (Walang na-recover. We are hoping na may makita kaming ebidensya. Parang iniwan lang sya doon)," Lt. Col. Lymel John Pasquin, acting chief of La Carlota City Police Station, said.

The Bacolod City Police Office vows to assist in the review of CCTV footages and to track the cellphone of the victim.

“Natinghuaan man naton nga may mga I.T. kita nga personnel nga at least, ma-locate. Amo pa na aton gina-ideyahan subong (Sinisikap natin, may mga IT tayong personnel at at least, ma-locate. Yan pa ang hinahanapan natin ng paraan,” Captain Micahel Tuburan, station commander of Police Station 9, said.

Her mother describes Pearl Joy to be responsible, loving, and industrious. She is the eldest of three siblings.

She would have wanted to pursue a career in criminology, her mother added.

A manhunt on the perpetrator is ongoing.

Pearl Joy’s mother and grandmother are hopeful that justice will be served for Pearl Joy.

Her grandmother described the act to be savage. 

“Ang ginhimo niya dapat bayaran niya man e, kay pwerte na ya kasakit sa amon. Kasakit gid kaayo. Daw pamatyagan niya daw sapat lang (Ang ginawa niya, dapat pagbayaran niya rin dahil napakasakit para sa amin. Sobrang sakit. Parang hayop lang sa kanya,” alias “Loy,” the grandmother, said.

Pearl Joy’s mother went emotional looking into the motive of the killing.

“Kaluoy gid sang bata ko nga gin amo mo sina. Ngaa ginpatay mo gid sya? Ngaa ano gid ang purpose mo? (Nakakaawa talaga ang anak ko na ginanun mo. Bakit mo pinatay? Bakit, ano ang purpose mo?),” Jennifer further said.

The body of the victim underwent autopsy.

Meanwhile, Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez has condoled with Pearl Joy’s family and condemned the killing.