WOMAN FOUND SLAIN INSIDE CHURCH IN CEBU  

THE Archdiocese of Cebu has ordered the temporary closure of the Parish Church of San Fernando Rey in Liloan municipality after a woman was found murdered inside the church premises.

According to Archbishop Alberto S. Uy, the incident constituted a desecration of a holy place.

All public masses and religious activities were suspended until a rite of reparation is held to restore the sanctity of the church.

“We unite in prayer for the victim’s family as we condemn in the strongest terms this act of violence committed within the very house of God,” Uy said in a statement issued Friday.

An investigation showed around 9:30 a.m. Friday, church personnel found the woman lying unconscious near the entrance of the church.

The woman, believed to be around 30 years old, was rushed to the nearby Danao City District Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival by an attending physician.

Police said the woman sustained head injuries and ligature marks on the neck, indications she was beaten and possibly strangled before she died.

Authorities are investigating the identity of the victim and the motive for the killing.

The incident that shaken parishioners and residents of Liloan prompted the implementation of tighter security measures around churches in the province.