PIGCAWAYAN, COTABATO — Nearly four months after the horrifying rape and murder of two-year-old Czanaia Kiara Bermejo, authorities have finally identified and released the face of the suspect behind the brutal crime that shocked the nation.
Police confirmed that the suspect is Rex Mampainng, a lifeguard at D’ Pink Resort— the same resort where Kiara’s lifeless body was found floating on August 19, 2025. The identification comes after the Pigcawayan Municipal Police Station, led by Chief of Police PMAJ Maxim Peralta, pursued an unrelenting investigation despite initial roadblocks and non-cooperation from key individuals tied to the resort.
According to PMAJ Peralta, investigators obtained strong evidence and a witness who directly pointed to Mampainng as the perpetrator. Residents also described the suspect as “manyak,” further strengthening suspicions against him.
Kiara was last seen inside the Buluan Daycare Center before she disappeared. The center, still under construction, had no doors, no windows, and no CCTV cameras, making it easy for the child to wander out. Hours later, she was found dead, floating in the resort’s pool. An earlier autopsy revealed she died from asphyxia by smothering and showed clear signs of sexual assault, refuting initial assumptions of accidental drowning.
Peralta noted that the route from the daycare center to the resort was densely covered and isolated, making it easier for the suspect to commit the crime unnoticed.
Authorities also disclosed that the resort owner initially refused to cooperate, prompting police to prepare charges of obstruction of justice. It was only when legal action became imminent that cooperation was forced.
The case drew national attention after Kiara’s parents reached out to Senator Raffy Tulfo, who publicly offered a ₱500,000 reward for any information leading to the suspect’s arrest. Tulfo vowed to continue monitoring the case, stressing that monsters who prey on children must never walk free.
“This child did not deserve this cruelty. Someone out there knows the truth,” Tulfo said in an earlier interview.
Community outrage continues to intensify, with many demanding accountability, safer daycare facilities, and stronger child-protection mechanisms. Advocates argue that no child should ever be left vulnerable in places meant to protect and nurture them.
As the search for Mampainng continues, authorities urge anyone with information on his whereabouts to immediately contact the Pigcawayan Municipal Police Station or Raffy Tulfo in Action.
Kiara’s family, the community, and the nation now await one thing: justice for a life taken far too soon.