MANILA, Philippines - A junkshop owner was arrested after the body of a 15-year-old girl was found in his truck in Port Area, Manila at past midnight yesterday.
Romeo Perol Jr., 43, chose to keep silent on the murder charge that will be filed against him for allegedly beating and strangling Ronalyn Calmateo, an out-of-school youth and a resident of the Kakahuyan area in South Harbor.
Police Officer 2 Jose Gumilan reported that around 1:45 a.m., three men – trucking employees Edjem Babor and Rey Pabuaya; and Seigfried Riblanco, who was passing through the area – heard a girl shouting for help from inside a parked van along Railroad street, behind the MMDA Workers’ Inn. The shouts stopped, and Babor said he saw Perol get out of the van 10 minutes later and relieve himself beside the vehicle.
Babor said when he asked Perol about the screaming girl, Perol said there was nobody inside the van. When he left, Babor told police he decided to take a look in the van and saw a white sack. Babor said he saw a girl’s body when he opened the sack.
Responding barangay tanods arrested Perol and turned him over to the police.
Riblanco said he also heard shouts coming from inside the van, but ignored them.
Gumilan said the victim sustained ligature marks around her neck and a bloodied right hand. Her body was brought to the St. Ivan Funeral Homes for autopsy to determine if she was raped.
One of the witnesses claimed the girl was killed by Perol for blackmailing him into giving her more money after he paid her to have sex with him.