A 16-year-old girl was found dead inside her home in Barangay Saloy, Calinan District, Davao City on the morning of March 22.
According to PLt. Leo Romero, deputy for operations of the Calinan Police Station, the victim, identified only as alias Ariane, had earlier gone swimming in a creek in Barangay Bantol with her friends before the incident.
Police said the victim was reportedly heavily intoxicated during the outing. Authorities noted that she fell several times due to losing her balance, particularly while they were heading home.
Before going to sleep, the victim’s cousin reportedly changed her clothes because her clothing was still wet. She was then allowed to rest. However, when family members attempted to wake her the following morning, she was already unresponsive.
In an interview, the victim’s mother, identified as Jackelyn, said her daughter had bruises on different parts of her body. She also claimed that blood was seen coming from the victim’s ear.
The mother expressed suspicion that her daughter may have been harmed and said she is seeking justice for the victim.
Police said they plan to subject the victim’s body to an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. However, the family has refused to sign the waiver needed to proceed with the examination.
Authorities have begun investigating the victim’s companions during the incident, identified by their aliases as Jeramil, Jeniffer, Junrey, John, and Michael, to determine whether they had any involvement in the teenager’s death.
