CAVITE policemen have recovered two “vital” pieces of evidence inside the house of a known lawbreaker who has gone into hiding after being identified as the man who killed a 24-year-old graduating computer science student of the De La Salle University-Dasmariñas (DLSU-D) last Tuesday, the Journal Group learned on Saturday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. assured the public that the PNP is “doing everything” in its authority to arrest the suspect. “We condemn this heinous crime, and we will not stop until the perpetrator [is] put behind bars. We call on the public to cooperate with the authorities and report any information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect,” the top cop said.

Azurin likewise maintained that they remain committed to maintaining peace and order and observing human rights while they go “all-out” to give justice to the victim and her family.

Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) Director Col. Christopher F. Olazo said that the evidence includes a black “Sena” backpack owned by the victim, Queen Leanne Daguinsin.

Also recovered inside the house of the suspect with the alias “Kulet” in Barangay San Nicolas 2 was black shorts with a white stripe and a blue t-shirt with the trademark “Eagle” which closely resembled the ones he was wearing when seen in a CCTV footage leaving the crime scene.

Olazo said that members of the Dasmariñas City Police Station and the Cavite PPO’s Provincial Intelligence Unit, who conducted a backtracking investigation using all available CCTV recordings in the area, managed to identify “Kulet” as the man in the video.

The suspect, however, was not around when officers raided his house at 11:30 p.m. last Wednesday.

The Cavite police director said that the suspect has two known criminal records, both involving robbery. The first was a case for robbery with force upon things which was provisionally dismissed on June 27, 2022 for lack of interest of the private complainant to prosecute with the expressed consent of the accused.

The 2nd is another robbery case in which the suspect was released from jail after posting bail on September 23 last year.

On orders of Police Regional Office (PRO) 4-A Director Brigadier Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., the Cavite PPO’s Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Daguinsin has launched a massive hunt for the suspect.

The SITG, headed by Olazo, is building up a solid case against the accused before filing criminal charges before a local prosecutor’s office.

An investigation showed that the female caretaker of the dormitory where the victim lives discovered her lifeless body covered with blood.

The woman immediately reported the incident to the local barangay captain, who in turn called up the police.

Olazo said that CCTV footage showed that the suspect scaled the rooftop of the adjacent dormitory around 1 a.m. Wednesday before transferring to the 2nd floor of the victim’s dormitory, where he passed thru a window to gain entry inside Daguinsin’s room.

The CCTV footage showed the suspect wearing a blue t-shirt, black short pants, a black cap, and a pair of white slippers. He casually walked away from the scene carrying with him the undetermined belongings of the victim.

An autopsy report showed that the victim suffered a total of 14 stab wounds: one in the neck, nine in the body, and four in her left wrist/arm. Olazo said that it appeared that the victim tried to defend herself from the knife-wielding suspect, as evidenced by the “defensive wounds” she sustained.

There is no indication that the victim was raped, the official said.

Olazo said that the reward money offered for the informant that would lead police to the killer of the graduating student has been raised to P1.1 million.

According to the official, Cavite Governor Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and the Dasmariñas City government each offered a P300,000 reward for the killer’s capture.

Cavite Representative Elpidio “Pidi” F. Barzaga Jr. and Dasmariñas City Mayor Jennifer A. Barzaga added P200,000 to the reward money.

Olazo expressed optimism that the huge bounty will help them get the killer of the student.

He said that any information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect may be forwarded thru telephone numbers 0998-598-5587 and 0998-967-3350. Olazo assured that the identity of the informant will be kept in utmost secrecy.

The killing stunned the entire DLSU-Dasmariñas community.

Olazo said that the Dasmariñas City Police Station, headed by Lieutenant Col. Juan P. Oruga Jr., responded to the crime scene after receiving a call from Bgy. Sta. Fe chairman Emmanuel Noora.

Nartatez said he has ordered the Cavite police to use all its available resources and personnel to effect the arrest of the suspect.