NAGA CITY, Philippines — The Naga City Police Office (NCPO) is nearing the filing of criminal charges in the killing of teacher Leizel C. Permale after investigators arrested the suspect less than half a day after the crime, prompting Mayor Leni Robredo to commend the police for their swift and diligent work.
Police Col. Rizaldy Caballero, NCPO city director, said the investigation is now in its final stages, with police completing the documentary requirements needed before formally filing the case in court.
“We are almost there,” Caballero said, adding that the police have already achieved about 90 percent of the crime solution. “We are now only completing certain documents necessary in the filing of the case.”
Leizel was killed on July 18, 2026. Investigators were able to identify and arrest the suspect within 11 to 12 hours after the incident in the nearby town of Pasacao, where the suspect resides.
As of 8:30 a.m. on Monday, July 20, police investigators were still preparing the remaining evidence and documents needed for the filing of charges.
Initial findings indicated tell-tale signs of robbery, while the victim was believed to have been suffocated to death.
Mayor Leni Robredo congratulated Caballero and the police investigators for their industry and determination in pursuing the case, saying their prompt action has brought authorities close to solving the crime.
“We are on top of the situation,” Robredo told local newsmen, stressing that the city government continues to work closely with law enforcement agencies to address criminality and strengthen public safety.
The mayor also underscored her administration’s intensified efforts against the proliferation of illegal drugs, which law enforcement authorities have identified as one of the root causes of violent crimes committed in the city in previous years.
Permale was a graduate of the Ateneo de Naga University College of Education and had been teaching at a grade school in Barangay Pacol for the past eight years. | via Jason B. Neola, head of CMO-Public Information Division
