• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Candoni Mayor Ray Ruiz has issued a statement condemning the killing of 13-year-old Rica Grace Simple, calling the act a brutal loss of a promising life and vowing that justice will be served.
The victim, a resident of Barangay Haba, Candoni, Negros Occidental, was found dead in a sugarcane field in Sitio Lawagon, Barangay West, on the evening of April 27, after she failed to return home from a nearby store the previous day.
The mayor directed the Candoni Municipal Police Station to conduct a thorough and urgent investigation to ensure that those responsible are held fully answerable under the law.
Initial findings revealed a wound on the victim’s forehead, suggesting she was struck with a hard object.
Investigators are currently awaiting autopsy results to establish the official cause of death and determine if the victim was sexually assaulted.
Police have identified persons of interest and are currently backtracking the locations where the victim was last seen.
Ruiz also appealed to the public to remain calm and to refrain from spreading unverified information on social media out of respect for the grieving family.
He urged anyone with relevant information to coordinate with local authorities immediately to assist in the swift delivery of justice.*
