The stepfather of the slain student from Bacolod City who was dumped in La Carlota City sought police assistance after he reportedly received threats to his life.
Alias “Rene” appeared at the police station on August 21, 2024.
An emotional “Rene” granted GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas an interview and denied his involvement in the death of his stepdaughter, 15-year-old Pearl Joy Galve, whose body was found dead in a sugarcane field in La Carlota City, Province of Negros Occidental on August 14, 2024.
He said he was tormented by public accusations that he molested the victim and is behind the killing. He denied molesting her stepdaughter, and further negated that he used the teenager to pay off his debt to a syndicate.
"Rene" said that Pearl Joy’s mother, Jennifer Galve, knew he went to Iloilo after Pearl Joy’s body was found. Earlier, it was reported that “Rene” helped in tracing the whereabouts of Pearl Joy when she failed to return to school on the day she asked a cousin to go with her.
The cousin said that Pearl Joy was set to meet someone. There were persons reported to have seen the student at a road crossing near the school where she was seemingly waiting for someone prior to the incident.
However, “Rene” was nowhere to be found in their neighborhood in the following days. Jennifer also confirmed that “Rene” stopped communicating with her right there and then.
Despite the statement made by “Rene,” the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 6 has considered him a suspect.
According to Atty. Manuel Fayre Jr., agent in chief of NBI-Bacolod District Office, their investigation rendered highly of the participation of alias “Negro” in the crime. “Rene” is referred to in their area as “Negro.”
As of posting time, the La Carlota City Police are awaiting results of an autopsy done on the victim’s remains. However, they have other persons of interest; the details of which are yet to be disclosed.