PNP: Ecija rape-slay suspect commits suicide

An ex-convict who was arrested for the rape-slay of an eight-year-old girl in Nueva Ecija allegedly grabbed the service firearm of his police escort before shooting himself to death inside Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Senior Supt. Glenn Dumlao, director of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), said Hilario Herrera was being escorted back to his detention facility inside the unit’s compound at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday.

“He (Herrera) and his escorts just came from an inquest proceeding when he grabbed the service firearm and shot himself,” said Dumlao, adding that a case of kidnapping with rape and homicide was filed against the suspect before the Department of Justice.

Dumlao said Herrera’s two escorts did not expect him to commit suicide as there was no indication since the time he was arrested in Palawan after the rape-slay in Nueva Ecija.

Herrera was accused of raping the daughter of his employer before dumping her cadaver in a creek last week.

Dumlao said he immediately asked the two police escorts of Herrera to be subjected to a paraffin test called for further investigaton.

Herrera served 10 years at the Iwahig Penal Colony for a case of robbery. He was released on parole in 2014.

“There’s a tradition there (Iwahig) that if your case is rape, you will be killed. Maybe it entered his mind that he would be killed,” said Dumlao.

Asked what could have prompted Herrera to commit suicide, Dumlao said the latter might have been remorseful since his employers had been very kind to him.

Another reason is the alleged unwritten rule at the Iwahig Penal colony that rape convicts are being killed, especially those whose victims are children. The official said Herrera has a history of sexual assault even before the rape-slay case.