10-year-old Indigenous girl found dead, tied to tree in Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY – A 10-year-old Indigenous girl was found dead, naked, with her hands and feet bound and tied to a tree in a remote village in South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur, police said Tuesday.

Capt. Steffi Salanguit, spokesperson for Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), identified the victim only as alias “Cyll,” a Grade 5 pupil and resident of the said town.

The victim was discovered at around 11 a.m. on Monday in Sitio Lower Tambel, Barangay Romongaob.

READ: 8-year-old girl found dead in a vacant lot in QC – policeSalanguit said the girl’s neck was also tied to the tree when her body was found. Her father and uncle reported the incident to authorities.

Investigators are still determining the cause and circumstances of her death, including whether she was sexually assaulted. 

No suspect has been identified, as police continue follow-up investigations and intelligence operations to establish the circumstances of the killing and identify those responsible.

South Upi Mayor Helen Benito-Padua has offered a P50,000 reward for information that could lead to the suspect’s identification and arrest.

In a statement, Padua condemned the reported rape and killing of the child, describing the incident as horrifying and expressing condolences to the victim’s family.

“As a mother and public servant, I deeply sympathize with the victim’s family in the midst of their profound grief,” the mayor said, adding that the child deserved justice.

She urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the South Upi Municipal Police Station.

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The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MIPA) also strongly condemned the killing, emphasizing that the victim belonged to an Indigenous community.

In a statement signed by MIPA Minister Guiamal Abdulrahman, the ministry described the reported rape and killing as a heinous and unacceptable act of violence against a minor.

Abdulrahman stressed that every child has the right to life, dignity, security and protection from abuse, exploitation and violence.

The ministry called on the authorities to conduct a swift, thorough, impartial and transparent investigation to identify those responsible and ensure they are held accountable under the law.

It also expressed its condolences to the victim’s family and pledged to support efforts to establish the truth and pursue justice.

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The investigation remains ongoing./coa