While killer roams, girl’s family grieves
THE father of Genevieve Jabello believes his daughter’s killer attempted to rape her.
Joselito, a former Barangay Intelligence Network member, has a suspect in mind: a police officer he personally knows.
“Misukol seguro akong anak mao nang gipatay (My daughter probably resisted, that’s why she was killed),” he said.
Genevieve, 21, was found dead on a grassy lot near the road in Barangay Guimbangco-an, Sibonga last Nov. 21. Police found gunshot wounds in her chest and head.
Joselito did not divulge the name of the officer, who he said is now being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Central Visayas.
He believes his daughter met with the officer several times. Joselito recalled that Genevieve texted him one day, asking for the mobile number of the officer when she needed money for a school project.
He said it was his daughter who sought help from the officer. He also learned from Genevieve that the officer offered her a job in his office during the semestral break, but she worked for her instructor instead.
Joselito added the officer did not answer text messages and calls he made to him after Genevieve was found dead.
“Pasalig nila gamay na lang ang mga pangutana tubagon aron masulbad ang krimen (They assured that they only need a few more answers to solve the crime),” said Joselito, who now works as barangay health aide of the Consolacion Municipal Government.
He and his family attended the requiem in Señor San Isidro Parish in Garing, before Genevieve was buried in a cemetery in Barangay Pulpogan past 2 p.m. yesterday.
Joselito said their family’s Christmas celebration will never be the same.
“Buotan kaayo to bataa. Dili gani to molaag kon naa sa balay (She was such a good girl. She hardly went out),” he said.
Fr. Chito Palang, who presided the mass, asked the family, relatives and neighbors not to blame God for Genevieve’s death.
“Ang Ginoo dili nagbuot ini (This is not God’s will),” he said. “Ang kasalanan sa mga tawo sa kalibotan maoy hinungdan ini (The people’s sins in this world caused this).”
He asked the mourners to pray for justice.
“Karon ang tibuok Panas nagsubo. Karon ang kadaghanan sa Panas naghilak (The whole of Panas is in grief. Most in Panas are weeping),” said Palang. “Ang kinabuhi lisod sabton. Dili ta kahibawo nganong nahitabo ang usa ka panghitabo (Life is hard to understand. We don’t know why things happen).”
More than 20 classmates and instructors of Genevieve at the Cebu Technological University (CTU)-Argao joined the funeral.
Jesus Rey Romero, 20, said they are sad they will graduate in March without Genevieve.
They studied animal science at the state university. Genevieve was a government scholar.
“Naningkamot mi nga maka- graduate unya naa’y nahitabo niya (We worked hard so she could graduate, but this happened to her),” he said.