MANILA--- The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) will continue to assist the family of the teenage girl who was murdered in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu last March 11, an official said Thursday.
PAO forensics chief Erwin Erfe said they will continue to help the victim's family even as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) already named a suspect in the killing of 16-year-old Christine Lee Silawan.
Meanwhile, PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said that since they would be providing legal assistance to Silawan's family, they could no longer represent any of the suspects in the case.
“It cannot be that the victim and the suspect would have the same lawyer… It’s a first come, first serve,” Acosta said.
The Philippine National Police has initially processed two witnesses in their custody, including a mute person even as the NBI reportedly filed murder case against a 17-year-old boy, who is allegedly a suspect in the death based on the footages of the close circuit television (CCTV) and exchange of conversation on Facebook.
"With the NBI, based on what I have read, it is based on circumstantial evidence. We want to strengthen the case… (The NBI) used digital footprint as their evidence and that is good because it gives us an idea on who could be the possible suspect in the case. We appreciate that," Erfe said.
“But we also saw the evidence of the police and I think they are leading to the right track with their investigation,” he added. (PNA)
