“MO-MO CHALLENGE AND DRUGS DROVE SUSPECT TO KILL AND SKIN CHRISTINE LEE SILAWAN”

By Tonton Alcos Antogop

 

SUSPECT’S PROFILE

He is Renato Llenes, 43, a father of 5 from Sitio Tigcahon, Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City. He has a live-in partner.

Jobless, he is a street-level drug pusher who is included in the drug watchlist of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office.

RECORDED SELF CONFESSION

Before he was presented to the media, Llenes alias Renren and Abrad, already had a “recorded self-confession” of killing and skinning to the bone the face of 16-year-old Christine Lee Silawan, the church alms collector of Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City.

One of his lawyers during the confession, former Cebu Province Assistant Prosecutor Manuel Degollacion said he even tried to convince Llanes not to pursue with the confession, but the suspect insisted and volunteered to admit to the crime.

“I told him to discontinue the confession pero nipadayun gyud siya kay ingon siya nakonsensya gyud siya,” Degollacion told iNews.ph.

A lawyer from the Lapu-Lapu City Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) was also present when the confession was made.

ADMISSION TO PNP CHIEF AND CEBU MEDIA

When he briefly talked to no less than PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde, Llenes also admitted when asked.

Albayalde asked him, “pinagsisihan mo?”, he replied, “Oo Sir, kasi yung bata nadamay,” he told Albayalde who approached him.

Their conversation was audible and was recorded by the recorders of the media around.

When the media later asked him if he will admit to the crime, he answered in the affirmative, adding, he was just alone when he did it.

“Ako nang giangkon ang tanan, ako ray nagpatay,” Llenes said.

 

HIGH ON DRUGS AND MO-MO CHALLENGE

Llenes said he was high on drugs when he did it.

He said he used a scissor in stabbing and peeling off the face of the victim.

“Tungod sa druga, drugs. Gidunggab nako sa gunting dayun gihiwa nako ang iyang nawong para dili mailhan, dili mailhan ang iyang nawong.”

According to Albayalde, the suspect learned the peeling off of the face through the Mo-mo Challenge video in the internet.

“He peeled off Christine’s face so that she will not be identified. He revealed that he learned the way of peeling off the face of the victim thru Facebook and Momo (sic) video and YouTube,” Albayalde said in his media briefing.

CJ DIAZ FB ACCOUNTS COURTSHIP

In his admission, Llenes said, he courted Christine Lee by sending her FB friend request using a dummy account named CJ Diaz.

When the victim accepted the request, there he started courting the girl.

The CJ Diaz account had the face of a good looking young man who according to Lapu-Lapu City Police Director Colonel Limuel Obon belonged to a “matinee idol.”

Obon said that the suspect still had four other FB dummy accounts, two of them belonging to women, one purportedly of a sister of Diaz who would vouch for Diaz and communicate like they are siblings.

The Lapu-Lapu City police official added that even the live-in partner of Llenes and his relatives have confirmed to them that the CJ Diaz account belongs to the suspect.

“Sila ang nagsulti nga ang mga Facebook nga gipakita, siya na si CJ Diaz,” Obon said, adding, there are other girl minors in Cebu who also befriended CJ Diaz through Facebook.

Their courtship begun on October last year, Obon revealed.

OBSESSION TO CHRISTINE

Regional Police Director Debold Sinas said that the suspect was really obsessed with the victim.

“Obsession, obsession with the girl. Nag-obsess gyud siya sa babaye kasi kabalo na siya sa babae, kaila na siya sa babae, ang babae nailhan lang niya through exchanges sa txt ug sa messenger,” Sinas told reporters in an interview in Tagbilaran City where he and Albayalde paid an official visit.

A well-placed source of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Christene Lee Silawan said that after Christine and CJ Diaz became on in Facebook, the victim showed to the suspect a “provocative post” which all the more drove him to meet the girl.

DATE NIGHT THAT TURNED BLOODY

According also to the suspect, they agreed to finally meet last March 10.

They agreed to meet in the evening in the vicinity of Sacred Heart Church in Barangay Pajac as the victim would by then be done with her service as alms collector.

“Nagsabot mi nga magkita mi ngadto sa Simbahan,” Llenes also said in his brief interview with the media.

According to Albayalde, the two proceeded to the vacant lot in Bankal where the crime occurred. Llenes did not immediately identify himself as CJ Diaz but posed as the driver of the supposed good looking young man.

Later on, through his suasions, Llenes still won Christine Lee’s emotion but they quarreled later.

“However, they had a quarrel as Christine told him that she was no longer a virgin and that prompted him to stab the victim with a scissor. He still tried to satisfy his carnal desire but no penetration has been made for the reason of, “No erection,” Albayalde also said during the press briefing.

CCTV FOOTAGE IDENTIFICATION

The suspect was identified positively through the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footages which the SITG Silawan recovered.

It was enhanced by CCTV video experts where the face of the suspect and Silawan became clear and hence identifiable.

Obon said that their CCTV footages were plenty starting from where the suspect met the victim in the church premises up to near their dating place.

NOT CONNECTED WITH NBI SUSPECT

As the suspect himself admitted, the 18-year-old former boyfriend of Christine Lee Silawan has no involvement in the crime.

He said he was alone. He even wanted the NBI suspect released out of pity.

“Gusto nako magawas lang tu siya kay wala tawon tuy labot luoy kaayos tanan…wala ko kaila niya,” Llenes said.

The suspect did not go far from Cebu after the incident. Almost everyday he would go to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral Church and to some places in Mandaue City from their residence.

He said his conscience got him. He asked forgiveness from the Silawan family on what he had done.

“Mangayo lang ko ug pasaylo sa akong nabuhat nakonsensya gyud ko.”

He would have surrender earlier but he doesn’t know of anybody where he could give himself up.

“Tungod kay nahadlok ko naa na man gyud koy patong sa ulo, wala ko kahibawo kinsa akong surrenderan, wala koy kaila.”

The NBI suspect is also facing murder charges for the death of Christine Lee.

Represented by lawyer Vincent Isles, the suspect agreed to voluntary custody at the Homecare for Children Center (HCC) of the Lapu-Lapu City Social Welfare and Development Office.

PRES. DUTERTE IS UPDATED

PNP Chief Albayalde said that he already reported to Pres. Rodrigo Duterte the arrest of Llenes.

He sent to the President the report that General Sinas had submitted to him.

“I already reported to him the arrest since last night. He is already concerned dahil lumabas na nga ito through the media. I texted to him the report of PRO-7 through the aide, his aide de camp, so I guess with this development, he is more than happy.”

PIECES OF EVIDENCE RECOVERED

Other than the CCTV footages, the SITG-Silawan recovered the scissor that was used in stabbing and peeling off of the victim.

Except for his cap, the t-shirt that he used and his pair of shoes and other clothings were also recovered.

Obon said the scissor still has visible stains of blood while the t-shirt, colored black is still not laundered.

All the clothings were already brought to the PNP crime lab in Manila to compare it with the DNA of the parents of the victim.

The cellphone of the victim that is now with the Lapu-Lapu City prosecutor’s office as evidence of the earlier case that was filed could also be used later on.

CRIMINAL CHARGES

When Llenes was arrested last Tuesday afternoon near his house in Barangay Bankal, he was found inflagrante delicto having an unlicensed .45 caliber pistol with Norinco brand.

Charges of illegal possession of a firearm were already filed against him.

The murder charge will follow General Sinas said.

2 MILLION BOUNTY

As to the bounty, General Sinas said, the Police Advisory Council of PRO-7 had committed P100, 000.

That one could be given to the witness who identified the suspect and to the other person who initially identified Llenes in the CCTV.

Mayor Paz Radaza also offered 1 million. The rest of the amount would come from Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino (P100, 000), Philpost Chairman Norman Fulgencio (P100,000), P200,000 from the Cebu Provincial Council of Women and Children (PCWC) and P500, 000 from an American retiree who is now residing in Leyte.

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