MANILA, Philippines — The suspect in the rape-slay of an 8-year-old girl in Candelaria, Quezon was found dead inside the jail of the municipal police station in Barangay Poblacion on Wednesday morning.
The death of Ricardo Bongalon Burce, 55, came two days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police to hunt down and kill a “serial rapist” in the province.
According to an initial report from the Candelaria police, Burce did not respond when a fellow inmate was trying to wake him up at about 6 a.m. Inmates then noticed that he was no longer breathing.
Police officers rushed the suspect to the Candelaria District Hospital in Barangay Masin Norte but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
Burce was accused of raping and killing the girl who had gone missing for one week and whose body was found in a grassy area of a subdivision in Barangay Masin Sur on January 6.
Lt. Col. Jezreel Calderon, Candelaria police director, said they suspect that the man died of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis or more commonly known as “bangungot.”
He added investigators found no bruises on the body of Burce.
In a media interview on Monday, Duterte raised concern over a serial rapist preying on young girls in Quezon.
“There are things I want to bring attention to the Filipino people, especially ‘yung rape ng mga bata. Wala nang kahinto-hinto (the rape of children. It’s nonstop). ‘Yung Quezon (In Quezon) there’s somebody there who is a serial rapist. Kahapon mayroon na naman ni-rape at pinatay (Someone was raped and killed yesterday)” he said.
“Hanapin nila kung sinuman ‘yan at huwag na nila buhayin (Find that person and don’t let him live),” the President added.