• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday filed rape charges before the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office against the stepfather of 15-year-old Pearl Joy Galve, who was found dead on Aug. 13 inside a sugarcane plantation in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.
William De Arca, executive officer of NBI-Bacolod, said that Jennifer Galve, the mother of Pearl Joy, served as the complainant.
The respondent is Rene John Nasis, the live-in partner of the elder Galve.
Quoting the testimonies of Galve, De Arca said that Pearl Joy was sexually abused by Nasis several times.
The then Grade 10 student of Sum-ag National High School was reported missing on July 29. Her cadaver was found more than two weeks later in La Carlota City.
Both the NBI and the police have yet to establish a breakthrough in their investigations regarding the perpetrators behind her death.
De Arca said that as requested by the mother of the victim, the NBI is now the lead agency in the investigation in close coordination with the La Carlota City Police Station and Bacolod City Police Office.
Last month, Nasi surfaced to strongly deny the allegations that he was involved in the death of his stepdaughter.
De Arca said that they are still gathering enough evidence to file charges as they received information that two to four persons were involved in the murder of Pearl Joy. | GB
