A missing schoolgirl was found dead under a pile of straw - before her alleged rapist was killed at the police station.

Vivian Molinay, 5, was with her aunt Vicky Molinay selling food at a stall when she disappeared from the Oval Grounds fairground in Bukidnon province, the Philippines, at around 11 pm on January 10 evening.

Vicky combed the streets where her niece had earlier been playing with other kids but found no sign of the youngster. She called the Valencia City Police Station and a search was launched for the missing girl.

Officers expanded the search radius and found Vivian at a nearby sugarcane plantation the next morning, January 11. She was splayed out under a mound of straw and her shorts and underwear were missing. Police discovered that she had been raped.

A police spokesman said: 'The girl's body was already stiff when she was found. According to the City Health Office, she may have been strangled before she was sexually assaulted by the murdered.'

The suspect, a villager named Marlon Pantonial, 30, reportedly surrendered to the Valencia City Police Station on January 12 after the discovery.

But as the policemen were preparing to haul him inside a cell, Marlon, whose hands were cuffed in front of him, was shot dead.

Officers claim that despite being handcuffed, he grabbed a policeman's firearm from a fastened holster and turned the gun on himself. He was said to have shot himself before the cops could stop him.

Valencia City Police Station commander Lieutenant Colonel Brian Panganiban said: 'The person of interest surrendered voluntarily and admitted to killing the victim. But we were all shocked when he suddenly grabbed the investigator's weapon and shot himself.'

Brian was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival, police claimed.

Vivian's aunt Vicky said she had been taking care of the girl as her mother, Jennylyn Tampos Bahadi, was abroad and her father, Yanmar Molinay, was busy with work.

She said: 'Vivian was always affectionate and lively. I can't believe she's gone.'

Vivian's father Yanmar Molinay added: 'I wanted the killer to be brought to justice for my daughter's death. We are sad that we can no longer do that because he is dead now.'

Marlon's death was reminiscent of the summary executions rampant during former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's regime.

Extrajudicial were a hallmark of the strongman's controversial reign. Human rights organisations reported thousands of such deaths allegedly carried out by police and vigilantes targeting alleged drug users and dealers, often without due process.

Critics condemned the campaign for fostering a culture of impunity, while the government claimed it was necessary to curb widespread crime.