Last February 21, Shalani Dolina, a 37-year-old transgender woman, was found dead in a house in Brgy. Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.
Dolina was reported missing for three days before her body was found. Police investigators found her severed leg in an ice cooler, and the rest of her body wrapped in a mattress.
I a statement condemning the killing, LGBTQIA organization Bahaghari stated that “the brutal and senseless killing of a trans woman… is a horrific act of violence that underscores the dangers that LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face.”
Bahaghari, therefore, called for the Caloocan authorities to conduct an investigation on the brutal killing of Dolina.
“No individual should ever face horrendous acts of discrimination and even death because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, yet incidents like this still happen,” Bahaghari stated. “This unnecessary loss of life serves as a painful reminder of the desperate need for protective and inclusive legislation such as the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill in order to promote the safety of LGBTQ+ individuals.”
Bahaghari similarly urged Caloocan City Mayor Along Malapitan to enact an Anti-Discrimination Ordinance in the city to curb future incidents of discrimination and gender-based violence.
A person of interest – a tattoo artist who lived in the house where the body was found – was already in custody, though it is believed that there may be more than one suspect in this case.
This is not the first trans killing in Caloocan City. In September 2020, the body of 23-year-old trans woman Donna Nierra was found floating in a river in Brgy. 176 in Caloocan City.
