The lifeless body of a teenage girl was found covered with soil and  sacks in Pili town, Camarines Sur on Monday, October 31. The victim was identified as Irish Mae  Payonga who was reported missing by her family on October 28. Irish or 'Mai-Mai' to people close to her is an 18 year old student of Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU) currently in her 12th grade. 

According to the victim's family, Irish went to attend a church activity at Pili Capitol Convention Area and will be coming home at around 8 pm but she never returned home.

In a report by the  Camarines Sur Police Provincial Office, the case of Irish Payonga has already been declared solved. Reymark Domingo, 18 years of age who became the person of interest was arrested on Tuesday. In CCTV footage presented by PNP, Domingo was identified as the driver of the pedicab Irish boarded heading to the convention center but never reached the venue. Witnesses described the suspect as 'nangangamoy alak'. In an autopsy report, it was revealed that Irish was raped by the suspect. 

In a statement by AdNU president, Fr. Roberto Rivera, they condemned the tragic death of one of their students and expressed their deepest sympathy to the bereaved family. 

"We received the soul-crushing news of the discovery of Irish Mae M. Payonga's lifeless body in Barangay Cadlan, Pili, Camarines Sur. Irish Mae, an Ateneo de Naga Senior High School grade 12 student, had been missing since the evening of October 28. We express our solidarity with her bereaved family and friends during this time of unspeakable grief." 

A joint statement was released  by the Ateneo de Naga Senior High School Student Council and Co-Curricular Organizations,

“We, the Ateneo de Naga University Student Council (ASCO), together with the Humanities and Social Sciences & General Academic Strand Organization (HUGAS), Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Organization (STEM), Liga ng Kabataang Humuhubog ng Adbokasiya (LIKHA), and Ateneo Business Circle (ABC), would like to offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Irish Mae Maguigad Payonga, a Grade 12 student of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand.”

“We remain resolute in these difficult times. As one community, we fervently ask the guidance of our Lord to help the authorities in their sacred duty and responsibility to protect the society, especially us, vulnerable young children and adults, from those who seek to harm it and to let them be just and fair in pursuing their tasks to provide us with the security measures we lack but which they are obliged to strictly and consistently enforce.”