By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A 10-year-old girl was found dead and hogtied Friday night inside a home owned by her uncle in Barangay 14B, Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

Police identified the fatality as Marchela Sayo, a grade three student and resident of the said place.

Talisay City Police Station-Women and Children’s Protection Desk head, Senior Police Officer 3 Marriane Necesario, said, based on accounts by the victim’s family and eyewitnesses, Sayo was in Purok Rose, located in the said barangay, to retrieve the latest small town lottery results but she failed to return home afterwards.

The victim was eventually discovered hogtied, with a plastic bag on her head, and placed in a basin below a kitchen sink.

A follow-up operation by Talisay City police resulted in the arrest of Almer John Duron and a 17-year-old minor, whom police have requested not be named.

Duron initially denied any involvement in the killing but, in a radio interview yesterday, he recanted his denial and admitted to the crime.

The assailant said he didn’t know what he was doing and the idea of killing “went into his mind.”

According to Duron, he commanded Sayo to throw away a spoiled salad in the river but, when Sayo turned her back, he used his handkerchief and covered the victim’s mouth, hogtied her, and covered her head.

The attacker also denied being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs during the incident.

Duron is expected to face  murder charges and is detained at the Talisay City Police Station.

The minor, meanwhile, is expected to be released from Department of Social Welfare and Development custody after being cleared of any wrongdoing./DGB, WDJ