CASH REWARD. Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza offers a PHP1-million reward to anyone who can give information that can lead to the arrest of the brutal killers of 16-year-old church collector, Christine Lee Silawan. The amount brings the total reward to PHP1.6 million. (Photo courtesy of Mayor Paz Radaza's Facebook page)

CEBU CITY -- A total of PHP1.6-million cash reward now awaits anyone who can give authorities any information that will lead to the arrest of the killers of 16-year-old church collector Christine Lee Silawan.

This, as Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza on Wednesday offered PHP1 million in exchange for information on the identity and whereabouts of the suspected killers of Silawan.

Radaza said the city government’s decision to give reward to any informant was aimed at obtaining additional information that could speed up the resolution of the case.

She said that the police are “instructed to resolve the case the soonest possible time.”

Lapu-Lapu City Police Office Director Police Col. Lemuel Obon said the total amount of cash reward is now PHP1.6 million after the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 (Central Visayas) advisory council committed to his office a PHP100,000 reward, and another PHP500,000 from a foreigner from Leyte.

Obon, however, said his office has yet to receive the formal offer of the foreigner, a certain Don Davis, an American national, whom reports said is willing to contribute half a million pesos for the immediate arrest of Silawan’s killers.

“Wala pa mi nadawat nga communication gikan niya (We have not received any communication from him),” he said.

On Tuesday, the city police office was the first to offer a reward of PHP100,000.

Meanwhile, experts from the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory (Central Visayas) on Wednesday said they found out that the tongue, trachea (wind pipe), and esophagus of Silawan were missing.

PNP Crime Laboratory-7 regional director, Col. Benjamin Lara said the girl’s right ear was also missing and the tissue surrounding her neck and her face were also removed.

The girl, he said, suffered 20 stab wounds and around 10 defense (parrying) wounds.

Obon also said the autopsy report showed the victim was not raped as her genitalia appeared to have no fresh lacerations.

He said the tracker teams are now conducting coordinated manhunt operations against three “persons of interest” who may be Silawan’s killers.

Silawan was found dead at a vacant lot in Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City on Monday morning, with her face skinned, her skull exposed and her body left naked from the waist down.

The close-circuit television footages the police gathered, as well as the testimony of a deaf-mute, helped probers in zeroing in on three personalities who may be behind the gruesome death of the teenage girl. (PNA)