MANILA, Philippines - A seven-year-old girl was raped, reportedly by three men, then stabbed dead in a shanty in Paco, Manila Saturday night.

Myla Rosales’ half-naked body was found dumped behind a common restroom under the shanty shortly before 6 a.m. yesterday, according to Senior Police Officer 3 Glenzor Vallejo of the Manila Police District (MPD) homicide division.

The body of Rosales, a first grader at Bagong Barangay Elementary School, bore more than 20 stab wounds, he added.

Three men – Norman de Leon, 25; his brother Joshua, 19; and Romulo Marquez, 34, all of 1676 A. Zamora street – were invited for questioning after neighbors told investigators the men were seen having a drinking session at the time the crime was committed.

The three initially denied any knowledge of the crime, but Norman broke down during interrogation at around 2 p.m. yesterday and admitted to killing the child. He would not say, however, if he raped Rosales.

Vallejo, on the other hand, said the girl was indeed raped.

Drug-induced

Norman told The STAR that he had been high on shabu and drinking gin for the past three days, during which he had not slept.

“I could not remember if I raped her but I know I stabbed her several times,” he said.

Norman said he attacked the girl between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. in a second-floor room rented by his partner, a man identified only as Tonette dela Rama.

Rosales’ parents said they last seen their daughter at around 7 p.m. and started looking for her two hours later, when she failed to come home.

Dela Rama initially told police he did not know a crime had been committed in his room when he arrived at around 9:30 p.m., though he described it as being in total disarray. He said he cleaned up the mess and threw out the garbage.

Vallejo said investigators found that the room had been “cleaned up” but there were still visible bloodstains on a plastic chair and flooring that they have yet to match with the victim’s blood.

MPD homicide division chief Senior Inspector Steve Casimiro said Norman admitted to killing the girl to save his brother and friend, “but (Dela Rama) had given us the details and the participation of the suspects.”

He said charges will be filed against the three men today.