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Solon offers P1-M bounty in architect rape-slay

By Che Palicte

May 22, 2023, 2:34 pm

<p><strong>REWARD MONEY.</strong> Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte has put up a PHP1-million bounty for the arrest of the killer of a 28-year-old architect in Davao City on May 17, 2023. Police say Vlanche Marie Bragas was raped and killed, her body found in an open canal in Barangay Dacudao.<em> (Photo courtesy of Arjoy Ceniza)</em></p>

REWARD MONEY. Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte has put up a PHP1-million bounty for the arrest of the killer of a 28-year-old architect in Davao City on May 17, 2023. Police say Vlanche Marie Bragas was raped and killed, her body found in an open canal in Barangay Dacudao. (Photo courtesy of Arjoy Ceniza)

DAVAO CITY – A PHP1-million bounty for the capture of the killer of a 28-year-old architect here was initiated by Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte on Monday.

Vlanche Marie Bragas's half-naked body was found covered with dry banana leaves in an open canal in Barangay Dacudao, Calinan district here on May 17.

“I and the Dabawenyos are seeking justice for Miss Vlanche Marie Bragas. I am offering PHP1 million to anyone who can point out the perpetrator of this crime,” Duterte said in a statement.

The lawmaker said he was saddened by the loss of the life of an "ordinary person who worked hard for her future and her family."

Bragas was reported missing around 12:30 a.m. on the same day and was last seen onboard a yellow tricycle at Crossing Fausta, Calinan district.

An autopsy result from the Regional Forensic Unit in Davao Region confirmed that the victim was raped as there was clear evidence of genital trauma. It also confirmed that Bragas was choked to death.

The United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Davao Chapter has expressed shock over the incident.

“The news of her rape and subsequent abandonment in a desolate grassland has utterly shocked and anguished us. This unspeakable act goes against the principles of architects, professionals, and fellow human beings,” the group said in a Facebook post. (PNA)

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