TACLOBAN CITY—A 32-year-old farmer is facing rape with homicide charges after he allegedly sexually assaulted and killed his 10-year-old niece in the town of Calubian, Leyte province.
Cpl. Leandro Navarette, of the Calubian police station, said the farmer, Jaime Edrina, confessed to raping and killing his niece, who was at his home last Jan. 19 to ask for help from his wife for a module lesson.
The farmer’s wife was not at home and was in a meeting when he raped and killed his niece.
The farmer asked his two sons, who were also at home when his niece arrived around 11 a.m., to feed the family’s cow at the farm so he could be left alone with the girl.
Navarette cited the farmer’s confession that “he right away raped the victim inside their house and later brought her to an isolated farm where he killed her by cutting her throat” using a bolo known as Camarines.
Edrina buried his niece in a pit.
Navarette said last Jan. 21, Edrina, believed to fear for his security after the girl’s family started to search for her, confessed to village officials that he raped and killed his niece.
The village officials turned over Edrina to the local police which detained him.
“This is really so shocking considering that the victim is the niece of the suspect who only went to their house to ask assistance for her studies,” Navarette said.