The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bacolod City filed rape charges against Rene John Nacis, the stepfather of slain teen Pearl Joy Galve, yesterday.

NBI-Bacolod executive officer William de Arca said Nacis is now facing charges in relation to the Anti-Rape Law, more than a month after Galve’s body was recovered in a sugarcane plantation in La Carlota City’s Barangay Cubay.

De Arca said the NBI will wait for the results of the prosecutor’s evaluation and their resolution in the case.

The NBI relied on the statement of the victim’s mother, Jennifer Galve, as testimonial evidence against Nacis.

De Arca said they are still investigating the murder, and are gathering strong evidence against the persons involved in the crime.

In August, Nacis admitted that he molested Galve when she was 12 years old.

He denied any involvement in his daughter’s death, and he did not know who was responsible for the killing, claiming that he had no protectors or acquaintances who might have committed the crime.

Earlier, an autopsy revealed that Pearl Joy succumbed to multiple injuries to the head, neck, chest, abdomen, waist, arms, and legs, indicating that she was beaten.

La Carlota police chief, Colonel Lymel John Pasquin, said it is still unconfirmed whether the victim was raped, but there is a possibility of sexual assault.

Her mouth was covered with duct tape, and her hands were bound behind her back.

Galve, a resident of Barangay Sum-ag, was reportedly missing on July 29, based on a blotter report.

She was last seen attending a half-day class on the said date./WDJ