Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has offered a P50,000 bounty for anyone who could provide information leading to the arrest of the suspect behind the murder of Pearl Joy Galve.
In an interview with the media yesterday, Benitez said the reward money would personally come from him.
“If there is a recommendation to increase [the reward], I will wait for that, and I will consider that,” Benitez said.
Benitez had earlier ordered an investigation into the murder of 15-year-old Grade 10 student Galve.
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bacolod was willing to hear a statement from Galve’s stepfather, Rene John Nacis, who is now considered a person of interest in the crime.
In a radio interview, NBI-Bacolod executive officer William de Arca, Jr. said Nacis can contact their office to provide a statement about the crime, so that his side can be clarified and help speed up the investigation.
De Arca also assured Nacis that they are ready to provide the necessary security if he decides to go to the NBI office.
No charges will be filed against the stepfather as there is no strong and sufficient evidence to support his involvement in the crime, De Arca said.
Nacis remains missing after Galve’s body was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition at Barangay Cubay in Negros Occidental’s La Carlota City on August 14.
The police have yet to determine how the victim ended up in La Carlota.
Several potential witnesses are expected to assist in the investigation, although no concrete information has been received on allegations that Galve was abused by Nacis.
Earlier, Pearl Joy’s mother, Jennifer Galve, hoped that the person responsible for her daughter’s death would surrender, desiring a swift arrest for the perpetrators.
Galve’s family continues to place their trust in the efforts of the Philippine National Police and NBI for the resolution of the case.
Galve, a resident of Bacolod’s Barangay Sum-ag, was reported missing last July 30.
She was last seen alive during the opening of classes on July 29.
11 unsolved cases
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) assured that it will continue to investigate unsolved cases in the city, following calls for justice and the pursuit of suspects.
BCPO data showed that from January to July 2024, there were 11 unsolved cases in Bacolod.
The motives in nine cases have been established, and there are persons of interest, the BCPO said.
However, the victims’ families are no longer interested in filing a case.
Meanwhile, the other two cases remain unsolved, the BCPO said.
They were both victims of shooting incidents.
The BCPO also appealed to the public to assist the authorities by providing relevant information regarding these cases./WDJ