metro crime scene

Five dead bodies in Quezon City

2012-01-27T21:16:00.000+08:00

2 more bodies with torture marks found in Quezon City—police

By Nancy Carvajal, Philippine Daily Inquirer , January 25th, 2012
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/134191/2-more-bodies-with-torture-marks-found-in-quezon-city%E2%80%94police

Two more bodies bearing torture marks were found in different places in Quezon City on Wednesday, bringing to five the number of dumped bodies recorded by the city police in the last three days alone, police records showed.

Police Office 1 Alvin Quisumbing of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD-CIDU) identified the latest victims as Dereck Page, 25, of Moonstar St., Las Villas del Ciello Homes, Sunville Subdivision, Barangay (village) Culiat, Quezon City; and Gilbert Borja, 29, of No. 4 Ginintuang Landas St., Barangay Sta. Monica, Novaliches, also in Quezon City.

Quisumbing said the body of Page with multiple stab wounds was discovered by a gardener around 8 a.m. at a vacant lot not far from where he lived.

Page’s wife, Maria Cristina, told police she last saw and talked to her husband at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, when he went out of the house to gather condiments for the food they were cooking for dinner.

However, she said Page never returned since then.

Meanwhile, PO3 Gregorio Maramag said Borja was found dead at around 1:10 a.m. on Wednesday, at the corner of Ginintuang Landas and Tatlong Hari Streets in Barangay Sta. Monica.

Maramag said the victim’s body bore torture marks and had a gunshot wound in the back and multiple stab wounds in the right side of his body.

Three bodies bearing torture marks and signs of summary execution were found earlier in separate areas in Quezon City.

Inspector Elmer Monsalve, chief of the homicide investigation of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), expressed alarm over the discovery of several bodies in the space of a few days.

Monsalve said they were still establishing the motive for the killings but initial investigation showed the killings could be part of an ongoing “gang war.’’

An Execution in San Juan

2011-11-27T10:31:00.001+08:00

Report by : Kristine Felisse Mangunay
Two dead bodies found by barangay patrol
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/100977/metrobriefs-127

Patrolling officials of Barangay Maytunas in San Juan City found two dead bodies in a dimly lit area Saturday night. Senior Supt. Rainier Espina, San Juan chief of police, said both victims, possibly in their early and mid-30s, were handcuffed and blindfolded with a masking tape.

Espina said there were details in the scene that seem to indicate whoever killed the men did not want police to have a difficult time in conducting their investigation.

He said three bullet shells that were found in the scene had been placed on the stomach of the younger victim. The shells were from a .45 cal. revolver, Espina said, and seemed to be consistent with the bullet wounds found in the forehead of the elder victim, and the right and left temples of the younger one.

Chopped-up body found in Valenzuela City

2011-11-20T23:40:00.001+08:00

‘Chop-chop’ case probed

They are like separate pieces of a puzzle waiting to be solved. Police are now investigating the gruesome murder of a man whose severed body parts were thrown in different places in Valenzuela City and were found on Saturday. SPO1 Percy Villanueva of the Valenzuela City investigation unit said the body parts were grouped in three and thrown in different places.

SPO2 Arnold San Juan told the Inquirer that a certain George Caco came forward and identified the victim based on the severed head recovered by the police. Caco claimed the severed head belonged to Julius Caco, a former watchman of Barangay Karuhatan.

On Saturday, Senior Supt. Wilben Mayor, chief of police who led a team of field investigators in Barangay Karuhatan confirmed Caco’s information. He added that there were no bullet wounds found in any part of the victim’s body.

Philippine Daily Inquirer, November 20, 2011
report by Kristine Felisse Mangunay
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/97247/metrobriefs-123

Suicide in Imus mall

2011-10-22T18:19:00.000+08:00

Breaking News: Man Allegedly Commits Suicide Inside Robinsons Mall in Imus (Photos)October 20, 2011http://www.pinoyshoutouts.com/2011/10/breaking-news-man-allgedly-commits-suicide-inside-the-robinsons-mall-in-imus-photos/

CCTV shows man leaped to death in Imus mallPhilippine Daily Inquirer, October 20, 2011http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/79849/man-leaps-to-death-in-robinsons-imus

Youth commits suicide inside mallTempo, October 22, 2011http://www.tempo.com.ph/2011/youth-commits-suicide-inside-mall/#.TqKXFXHCP7A

IMUS, Cavite, Philippines – A depressed youth committed suicide by jumping from a high 4th level area of a mall in this town, police said Friday.

In a report to Senior Supt. John C. Bulalacao, Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, Supt. Hersan H. Mojica, Imus police chief, identified the fatality as Adrian L. Hidalgo, 20, a resident of 316 Golf Street, Silver Homes Classic, Barangay Mambog I, Bacoor, Cavite, and a student of Informatics Center at the 4th floor of the mall in Tanzang Luma III.

Hidalgo died on the spot after he leaped from the rail of the mall’s 4th floor area. He sustained severe head and body injuries.

Detective Dennis L. Magsaysay said the victim was identified by his mother Gemma D. Hidalgo, 47, and his relatives at the morgue.

Magsaysay, citing a report of relatives, claimed that Hidalgo had been getting medical attention for the last three years due to depression.

Hidalgo was described as “tahimik na bata” (silent-type youth). Masaysay said that Hidalgo, who wore a black framed-eyeglasses, black t-shirt, a pair of maong pants and Havaianas slippers, was seen roaming in the floor area before he jumped from the railing at 12:24 noon Thursday, based on the CCTV (closed-circuit television) recorder.

It was the second suicide incident that was reported in Cavite in 14 hours. Last Wednesday night, a male patient died after he jumped from the window of an intensive care unit (ICU) room at the 4th floor of a hospital in General Trias town. (Anthony Giron)

Here's the related report : http://www.tempo.com.ph/2011/faith-cures-depression-%E2%80%93-cavite-priest/#.TqKZHXHCP7A

...the police recorded another suicide case in Cavite with the demise of a depressed male patient who reportedly jumped out of a 40-feet-high hospital building last Wednesday night in General Trias town.

The 55-year-old victim, who underwent dialysis, leaped unnoticed from the window of the intensive care unit (ICU) room, it was reported.

There were more or less 25 suicide incidents in the province that was reported to the police this year alone.

Scene of the Crime Operatives

2011-10-22T18:10:00.001+08:00

CSI a la PNP
By Cecille Suerte Felipe (The Philippine Star) October 16, 2011
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=737947&publicationSubCategoryId=90

MANILA, Philippines - We watch “CSI” and all those popular crime shows on television and wonder when our police will ever have those high-tech gizmos to solve crimes. Wonder no more.

It may be the best kept police secret, but the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory in Camp Crame, Quezon City is now a modern unit with advanced equipment and highly trained personnel. The agents of the Crime Lab, commonly called SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operatives), are as crucial to crime solution as police officers chasing criminals.

Deputy Director General Arturo Cacdac Jr., PNP deputy chief for operations, says a number of high profile cases have been resolved with the help of highly-trained forensic examiners using advanced and modern equipment.

“Police work not only involves intelligence gathering and crime prevention. It also involves crime scene investigation. So we need high-tech equipment and capable forensic examiners,” Cacdac tells STARweek.

READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE AT:
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=737947&publicationSubCategoryId=90

Drug Pusher Executed

2011-07-29T08:49:00.000+08:00

Apparent victims of summary execution found in Manila
By Jeannette I. Andrade, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 28th, 2011

MANILA, Philippines—The bodies of a man and a woman, believed to be victims of summary execution, were discovered five minutes apart early Thursday in Manila’s San Andres Bukid district.

Both bodies bore strangulation marks, had their hands bound and packaging tape wound around their faces.

Placed on the male victim’s body was a sign, wrapped in a clear plastic bag, which read: “Pusher ako. Magnanakaw din ako (I am a drug pusher. I am also a thief).”

Police Officer 3 Giovanni Valera of the Manila Police District homicide section described the male victim to be between 45 and 50 years old, five-foot-four inches tall, fair-skinned, of medium build, and clad in a white sleeveless shirt and gray sweater and camouflage pants.

The woman was also between 45 and 50 years old, five-foot-one inch tall, fair-skinned, and clad in a dark blue shirt and checkered pants.

Neither of the bodies, he pointed out, bore a tattoo mark and they were found separately at Barangay (village) 807 Zone 87 in San Andres Bukid.

Valera said that the first body to be discovered was that of the woman, who was found at around 1:05 a.m. lying on the gutter of a sidewalk along Perlita Street near Dagonoy Street.

Neighborhood watch member Salvador Lligarco was conducting a routine patrol along Perlita Street when he stumbled onto the body and immediately reported his find to the police.

Five minutes later, 37-year-old vendor Ruben Mingote was about to go to sleep on the sidewalk on Sergio Osmena Highway when his pet dog started barking and growling and would not stop.

When Mingote decided to investigate, he found the man’s body dumped on the gutter along the highway near Zobel Roxas Street. He immediately sought the help of roving policemen.

Valera said that both bodies were possibly killed and dumped in the area by the same perpetrators, judging from the manner the victims were executed.

He pointed out that the woman could have been collateral damage with the male victim the suspects’ primary target. The case investigator stressed that the woman could have simply been at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

The bodies were taken to the St. Harold funeral parlor for autopsy.

2 bodies found in San Andres
By Nestor Etoll, The Philippine Star, July 29, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - The bodies of a man and a woman, believed to have been executed, were discovered a few feet apart on a sidewalk in San Andres, Manila at past midnight yesterday.

Police described the two victims as in their late 40s, the man wearing a pair of camouflage pants and a white undershirt beneath a gray sweater, while the woman was clad in checkered short pants and a dark blue t-shirt.

Their faces were wrapped in packaging tape and their hands were tied. A plastic bag was placed atop the man’s body with a message in Filipino: “I am a (drug) pusher and robber.”

Initial investigation showed the bodies bore bruises all over. “These victims could have been suffocated to death,” an investigator said.

A couple told police they were roused from sleep by a dog barking and when they looked around, they saw the body of a man lying on the sidewalk along Osmeña Highway near its intersection with Zobel Roxas street in San Andres.

They also discovered the woman’s body several feet away. No one in the area could identify the victims. Police believe the victims could have been killed elsewhere and their bodies dumped in the area to mislead investigators.

Inquirer report on woman burned in motel

2011-07-21T10:04:00.000+08:00


Photo by Jenny Reyes, ABS-CBN News

Man charged for killing GRO in Pasig motel room
By Niña Calleja, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 20th, 2011
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/26689/man-charged-for-killing-gro-in-pasig-motel-room

The man accused of killing and burning the body of a woman inside a motel in Pasig City was charged on Wednesday with murder and arson at the city prosecutor’s office.

Case investigator Senior Police Officer 2 Rogelio Baltazar said Raymond Camarse, 44, a resident of Quezon City, was arrested after he was caught fleeing from the crime scene.

His victim was identified as Regine Fernandez, a 20-year-old guest relations officer at a hotel in Cebu City.

Her body was found inside a room in Country Lodge at around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. It was under a pile of burning clothes, a pair of sandals, parts of a wooden chair and glass shards.

The policeman said the victim had been stabbed to death.

“The fire was done to cover up the crime. Had the suspect fled undetected, the identity of the victim would still be unknown up to now,” Baltazar added.

Before the victim’s burnt body was discovered, the suspect was spotted hurriedly leaving the motel room and trying to start his car.

Sensing that something was wrong, an employee of the motel blocked his way with a movable metal fence.

The suspect, however, forced his way out of the motel on board his car but members of the barangay (village) security force and policemen who were alerted by suspicious motel staffers apprehended him just a few meters away from the entrance.

They found in the back seat of his vehicle the kitchen knife allegedly used in the killing as well as the victim’s identification cards.

As of Wednesday afternoon, no one has claimed the victim’s body, the police said.

The suspect, on the other hand, remains detained at the Pasig police headquarters.

Baltazar said the suspect told him that the victim was his mistress and that he had tried to break up with her.

Earlier reports, however, said that the woman was killed because she wanted out of the relationship.

Here's a link to the first reports about the crime from ABS-CBN and GMA News:
http://metrocrimescene.blogspot.com/2011/07/woman-murdered-burned-inside-motel.html

Which makes me wonder: was this murder premeditated? Based on this report, it does sound like the suspect panicked and used whatever was at the scene to commit the crime. (Although, I still wonder where he got the kerosene.) The suspect panicked and was supposedly seen hurrying out of the motel and that's why the staff got suspicious on his actions.

Could this suspect be the same person who committed these crimes back in 2008:
http://metrocrimescene.blogspot.com/2008/09/firestarter.html

Woman murdered, burned inside motel

2011-07-19T23:29:00.002+08:00

A REPORT BY JENNY REYES, ABS-CBN NEWS http://twitter.com/jennyfreyes
http://rp1.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/07/19/11/woman-killed-burned-inside-pasig-motel

A woman was killed and her body was burned inside a motel room allegedly by her boyfriend, police said Tuesday.

Pasig City police chief Senior Superintendent Jesse Cardona said the incident occurred at about 2 p.m. at a room of the Country Lodge Motel.

The 20-year-old victim, who hails from Cebu, was burned almost beyond recognition. Cardona identified the victim through an ID card as Regine Fernandez, a native of Cebu City and an employee of the Cebu Waterfront Hotel.

She was stabbed 3 times and her neck was slashed, investigators said.

The suspect, 44-year-old Raymond Camarse, was arrested while he was trying to escape from the crime scene.

He was nabbed because his car broke down outside the motel.

Police found a suitcase filled with clothes and a knife inside the suspect's car.

Camarse is believed to have poured either kerosene or gasoline on the woman's body after killing her.

Firefighters said they thought the case was a simple fire incident until they discovered the women's charred body on the bed.

Motel employees said Camarse and the woman checked in 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

They later noticed thick smoke coming from the couple's room and called for help from firefighters.

Senior Police Officer 2 Roger Baltazar said motel staff also became suspicious because Camarse suddenly checked out without the woman.

The suspect told police that he wanted to break up with the woman but the victim refused, Chief Inspector Roderick Tonga said.

Police are now trying to contact the victim's relatives.

Other details taken from:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/226759/nation/woman-found-dead-burned-inside-pasig-motel

Could this case be connected to the 2008 murders, where two women were also found burned in motel rooms?
http://metrocrimescene.blogspot.com/2008/09/firestarter.html

ABS-CBN reports: Mother kills own baby, eats organs

2011-07-13T00:50:00.000+08:00

Report from Julius Camba, ABS-CBN Cagayan Valley

ISABELA, Philippines – A mother diagnosed with schizophrenia was arrested by authorities in Ilagan, Isabela, for killing her 1-year-old daughter.

Authorities suspect that the mother “Carol” (not her real name) ate her daughter’s internal organs after slitting her throat.

Neighbors said they alerted police when they saw a bloodied Carol outside her house carrying a sack. They said the suspect was caught in the act of throwing the sack, which contained the dead infant.

“Dati pinutol niya ‘yung ulo ng pusa tapos ininom 'yung dugo, tapos ngayon naman ginawa niya kinatay niya ‘yung anak niya. Ininom niya ‘yung dugo tapos kinain niya ‘yung atay, puso, saka bituka nung anak niya,” said Reynaldo Gantalao, one of Carol’s neighbors.

Police said Carol, who had a live-in partner, was living a life of depression after her husband left her.

“Kasi iniwan siya ng dati niyang asawa. Siguro dahil sa matinding problema kaya nabaliw ‘yung nanay,” said Police Superintendent Baltazar Israel.

Medical examinations confirmed that Carol is suffering from schizophrenia.

The incident has raised fear among the residents of Ilagan. “Karumal-dumal talaga, biruan mo ganun ‘yung ginawa sa anak niya,” said one of the residents Marilou Agor.

The Provincial Prosecutor’s Office has filed parricide charges against the suspect.

Carol is set to be admitted to Cagayan Valley Medical Center to receive medical attention.

Man kills niece, believed she was a manananggal

2011-05-30T02:30:00.004+08:00

’I was killing a manananggal’
By Jucell Marie P. Cuyos
Cebu Daily News, Inquirer, May 25, 2011
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/9057/%E2%80%98i-was-killing-a-manananggal%E2%80%99

photo from : http://cebudailynews.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/uncle-faces-murder-charge-for-killing-niece-and-acting-like-a-cannibal/

The killer sat behind bars in the Tabuelan municipal jail and said he didn’t regret killing his 6-year-old niece and acting like a cannibal.

Efren Matedios, 29, who was arrested at home yesterday, said he was only “helping” the little girl by stopping her from changing into a “manananggal,” a winged figure in Filipino folklore who is half-human and half-monster.

Elestrio hacked and disembowel Lara Mae Concodes last Monday night.

Prior to the crime, he wanted to sleep beside his niece but his mother objected prompting him to maul her.

She escaped and sought for help but when she arrived with some of the roving tanods, she saw him eating a portion of her granddaughter’s internal organ.

They saw Lara’s naked body lying on the floor while her internal organs were placed in a plate and drizzled with salt.

Matedios was naked when police tracked him down in his house in barangay Villahermosa, about 12 kilometers from the town proper.

The death of 6-year-old Lara Mae Concodes, who was stabbed, stripped naked and her internal organs removed and eaten by her uncle on Monday, has horrified the rural town in north Cebu.

Police brought the uncle to a hospital, where doctors will try to find out whether the act of cannibalism is a sign of mental derangement.

“A good man with no vices,” was how some neighbors and relatives described Matedios.

Barangay captain Marian Donasco told Cebu Daily News that they were shocked by the crime because Matedios was a doting uncle.

“He really loved his niece. Until now we are shocked about what happened. We can’t believe Efren did it,” she said.

Matedios told Cebu Daily News he put salt in the girl’s internal organs to kill her immediately because he saw on television once that this was how to kill a “mananaggal.”

He denied he was on drugs or a member of a demonic cult.

The man told police he used a broken jalousie blade to disembowel the girl and ignored her cries.

He said he left the blade under a rock in a cave, but police went to the site, going as deep as 25 feet, without finding it.

The victim’s mother Elizabeth, 28, said that she thinks her only brother is unbalanced and dangerous, but can’t abandon him.

“Wala man ko pinalabi pero pinangga man pud gud ko sa akong manoy,” she said.

And nobody else will help him, she told CDN outside the jail.

Elizabeth brought him flood and clothes but kept her distance.

“I’m afraid he might do something,” she said but said she pitied him.

Elizabeth said that after Monday’s brutal killing she wanted her brother killed but realized later she’s the only family member who can help him.

She said she would leave the fight for justice up to law enforcers and God.

Elizabeth separated from her husband, Lito, a few years ago.

She lived with her grandmother, Pablita and Efren together with her second son, Kent Gabriel, 8. Another 10-year-old son stays with the father in Camotes Island.

Lito was at the funeral wake yesterday.

SPO3 Christopher Sanchez, deputy chief of Tabuelan police station said a murder charge would be filed today.

He said police found one witness who can testify that the uncle ate the little girl’s internal organs.

Lara Mae will be buried at 2 p.m. Today in Tabuelan.

UPDATE : Witness says Matedios was cursed by a witch in their neighborhood
May 27, 2011, from Candeze R. Mongaya, Jucell Marie P. Cuyos
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/9631/emotional-healing-for-mom-lola

Barangay Villahermosa councilor Paz Agsoy told Cebu Daily News that neighbors are scared after Efren, whom they described as “a good man with no vices,” admitted he killed and ate the liver of his niece.

Agsoy said that after Lara Mae’s death, a black bat was seen flying over the barangay. Efren was heard telling the bat, “I know who you are. You are the owner of the caimito that I ate.”

Agsoy said that neighbors believe the mayhem began when when Matedios and some neighbors went to fix a tomb a few weeks ago.
On their way to the graveyard they passed by a house whose owner was a reputed witch.

Efren and the others bought some starapple fruit from the lady for a small amount, but Efren happened to step on an orchid, angering the old lady of the house.

Agsoy, recalling Efren’s account, said the lady exclaimed: “Don’t step on that, my boy. You have paid me too little for what you ate.”

Agsoy said old folks in the town proper said that if a human is recruited to become an “ungo” they are required to eat a human being or else be struck by disease.

Neighbors believe Efren was recruited to become an “ungo,” she said.

“Our elders said that the ungo tends to recruit people who are good or don’t like to say bad words,” she said.

Prior to the arrest of Efren, Agsoy said they heard a bang on the roof as if a chicken fell but saw Efren a few moments later naked and with scratches all over his body.

Victims' Faces Wrapped with Packaging Tape

2011-03-23T02:04:00.003+08:00

2 bodies dumped in Manila
By Jeannette Andrade, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03/23/2011
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20110323-327083/2-bodies-dumped-in-Manila

Two bodies, both believed to be victims of summary execution, were found early Tuesday within an hour of each other in the Sampaloc area of Manila.

Manila Police District homicide section investigators described one of the bodies as between 40 and 50 years old, five-foot-four inches tall, slim, dark-skinned, wearing a white sleeveless shirt and black slacks.

The other was described as between 35 and 40 years old, five-foot tall, dark-skinned, slim, with a mole on the left side of his face above his upper lip. He was clad in a white collared shirt and denim pants, and had packaging tape covering his face.

Both bodies bore ligature marks around their necks.

At around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday, the first body was found along Antipolo Street, Barangay 543 Zone 54.

Police Officer 1 Michael Pavon, of the MPD homicide section, said that before the body was dumped, a resident in the area saw five or more persons hurriedly unload onto the street an unconscious man from a tricycle. Pavon pointed out that once the body was abandoned on the pavement, the group hurriedly left aboard the tricycle and a motorcycle. (NOTE: This is one of the few times that there were witnesses during the body dump and indicates that these acts are done by a group.)

The witness, out of curiosity, approached the body and immediately sought the assistance of village officials.

Pavon said that aside from the ligature mark, the victim also had a cut on his left eyebrow and bruises on his eyes.

The second body was discovered at 5 a.m. at the corner of Laong Laan and Asturias streets, Barangay 471 Zone 46 by village watchman Josefino Santiago.

Senior Police Officer 2 Edmundo Cabal, case investigator, said that Santiago initially thought that the man lying face down on the pavement had fainted due to drunkenness. But when he turned over the man, he discovered that his face had been covered with packaging tape and was dead. The barangay tanod immediately reported his find to the police.

Cabal noted a ligature mark around the victim’s neck, similar to the first body.

Homicide investigators theorized that both killings could have been perpetrated by the same group.

Both bodies were brought to the St. Harold funeral parlor homes for autopsy and safekeeping while homicide section operatives conduct follow-up operations for the identification of the slain men as well as the arrest of their killers.

The Girl Who Could Predict Fires

2011-03-10T13:51:00.004+08:00

The Inquirer filed a report about a three year old girl who can supposedly predict fires, but if you read the report it sounds more like that the girl is a pyrokinetic.

The little girl will mention an object within her eyesight and say that it will be on fire. In the example given, she saw a pillow and said, "Pillow... fire" and the pillow started to burn.

So, she wasn't really predicting the fire, but she was willing it to happen.

The report mentioned several eyewitnesses, which even includes the town mayor.

UPDATE: GMA News report about the girl who can predict fires
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/214371/report-3-year-old-girl-in-antique-attracts-attention-for-predicting-fires

The father recalled an incident when he took his wife and daughter into the town proper to buy soda last month.

As he was alighting from his tricycle, his daughter reportedly said, “may sunog alas nuebe (there will be fire at nine o’clock)."

He ignored his daughter's comment at first but was surprised to see the spare tire of his tricycle on fire shortly after 9:00 a.m. that day, the report said.

HERE'S THE REPORT FROM THE INQUIRER: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20110309-324430/Fire-seer-draws-hundreds-to-Antique-village

Fire ‘seer’ draws hundreds to Antique village
By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer Visayas, 03/09/2011

ILOILO CITY, Philippines—Hundreds of people are flocking to a small village in Antique to ogle over a 3-year-old girl who has been spinning the village’s rumor mill fast over her supposed supernatural power to predict fires.

Authorities and villagers, who claimed to have witnessed the girl’s power firsthand, swore to seeing clothes, sleeping mats, pillows and paper burn inside the girl’s home just after the girl predicted these things would burn.

Among the “believers” were San Jose Mayor Rony Molina and Chief Insp. Gilbert Gorero, town police chief, who said they witnessed things burn inside the girl’s home just after the girl said they would.

Mayor Molina said he was just one of the hundreds of curious people who checked what he said was a phenomenon inside the girl’s home. He said he saw a pillow burn just after the girl said “fire ... pillow.”

“I can’t explain it. I’m a town mayor and I don’t easily believe in this kind of things, but I saw it,” he said.

Police officer Gorero said he saw a biscuit burn on its edges without anyone touching it. “I did not believe it at first. Why would I? But we came to investigate after many people came to the girl’s house,” he said.

He said he saw five objects suddenly catch fire or smolder without anyone touching them.

“We have been trying to come out with a logical explanation but so far we have not found any,” the police officer said.

Molina has ordered policemen and village watchmen to monitor the girl’s house as throngs of people have started gathering there.

A fire truck was put on standby. Mayor Molina said authorities wanted to help the girl’s family get medical tests for the girl. The girl’s parents—a tricycle driver and jobless woman—might need counseling, too, because they have been losing sleep since the girl became an object of curiosity.

“They want peace and privacy but people will keep on coming until we can explain what’s happening,” said Molina.

Package bomb blast kills woman in Taguig

2010-12-29T13:57:00.002+08:00

Package bomb blast kills woman in Taguig
By Abigail Kwok INQUIRER.net, Radyo Inquirer, 12/29/2010
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20101229-311535/Package-bomb-blast-kills-woman-in-Taguig

UPDATE: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20101231-311947/Probers-train-sight-on-woman-who-carried-gift-bomb

UPDATE : http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20101229-311597/Gift-wrapped-bomb-kills-housewife

A woman was killed when she opened what was apparently a package bomb inside her home in a subdivision in Taguig City Wednesday, a police official said.

The victim, Yvonne Chua, died on the spot when the bomb exploded to her face while opening the package, said Chief Superintendent Jose Arne delos Santos, Southern Police District chief.

A report from Radyo Inquirer showed that the explosion occurred at around 10:30 a.m. inside Chua’s home at Mahogany Place at Block 10, Lot 21 in Barangay (village) Bambang.

The report said Chua’s husband, Louie, and seven-year old son, Benson, were also injured in the explosion.

Chua, delos Santos said, was a “plain housewife.”

Two men executed in Quiapo

2010-12-10T17:52:00.001+08:00

Manila Police District homicide section head Inspector Armando Macaraeg described one of the slain men as 20-28 years old, six-feet tall, of medium build, and clad in a gray shirt and cargo short pants. The man had a ring on his left ear lobe.

The other, Macaraeg said, was between 30 and 40 years old, five-foot-one tall, and clad in a white shirt and white printed short pants. He had his face wrapped in packing tape.

Macaraeg said both men had their hands tied behind their backs and their feet bound with nylon cord. Oddly, Macaraeg pointed out, the bodies were piled up in the shape of a cross, with the victim in his 20s lying across the other man’s body.

“One had bullet wounds in the face and in the back, while the other had a gunshot wound in the stomach and had a contusion on the forehead,” Macaraeg said, adding both were shot with a .45-caliber pistol.

Police Officer 3 Giovanni Valera, case investigator, said that a witness reported hearing four shot and when he looked out of his window he saw a gray sedan and two scooters speeding away from their neighborhood toward the direction of Claro M. Recto Avenue.

2 victims of summary execution found in Quiapo
By Jeannette Andrade, Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20101210-308162/2-victims-of-summary-execution-found-in-Quiapo

another suicide in SM Fairview

2010-10-19T18:31:00.002+08:00

Oct 18, 2010 : this tweet was posted on the Philippine Daily Inquirer's Twitter feed. There were other people who posted similar reports and others claimed to have witness the incident.

And here's the Inquirer's report:

MANILA, Philippines—A 19-year-old student killed himself inside a mall in Fairview, Quezon City, on Sunday afternoon following an argument with his girlfriend.Case investigator PO1 Hermogenes Capili of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit identified the victim as Richard Fernando, a student of Fatima University.

Fernando, a resident of Lagro Subdivision in Barangay Greater Lagro, sustained serious head injuries when he jumped from the second floor of the mall at around 3:10 p.m.

Witnesses told the police that the teenager had climbed over the railings near the cinema and food court area before he jumped.

Capili said Fernando was rushed to Far Eastern University Hospital but he died of his injuries nearly two hours later.

The victim’s father told the police that his son may have killed himself over relationship problems.

The police noted that a check of the victim’s cell phone showed that Fernando had been fighting with his girlfriend before he took his life.

If this person did jump to his death, this would be the second or third time a person has decided to commit suicide in this particular mall.

Here's the report from 2009:
http://metrocrimescene.blogspot.com/2009/09/suicide-in-mall.html

Dead Woman Found in Suitcase

2010-09-29T02:38:00.002+08:00

Last Saturday (September 25, 2010), the body of Neria Salapang, 29, a sales supervisor, was found inside a suitcase, left on the roadside of Congress Village in Camarin, Caloocan City.

Supt. Jade Santos of Caloocan Police said the body was identified through IDs and calling cards that were found at the scene of the crime.

Based on the state of the body, police speculate that the victim died three days ago. The cause of the death might be a blow to the left side of the head where a fracture was found, as reported by Supt. Filemon Porciuncula of the SOCO NPD.

full report and video at:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/metro-manila/09/28/10/police-identifies-woman-suitcase

Fetuses found near churches

2010-09-19T04:06:00.000+08:00

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/09/15/10/dead-babies-discovered-near-churches

Police said a 5-to 7-month-old fetus was found inside a green plastic bag at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

An hour later, another fetus was found at the doorstep of the Church of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo district, Manila.

PO3 Jay Santos of the Manila Police District (MPD) Homicide Division believes the babies were aborted by their mothers.

Meanwhile, the Malabon City police also reported that a fetus, wrapped in plastic and then stuffed into a sack, was found at the corner of Salmon and Pampano streets in Catmon district on Wednesday.

Police said a worker named Tamy Pinero discovered the fetus and reported it to the police.

The Malabon City police's Scene of the Crime Operatives said the fetus was only 7 months old.

Dead Baby Boy Found in Plastic Bag

2010-09-19T04:05:00.001+08:00

an Inquirer report from 2008

...the body of a baby boy was discovered at a tricycle terminal on H. Francisco Street corner Morato Road, Barangay Damayan.

Driver Hermilando Balalad Jr. said he found a plastic bag inside a tricycle as he was parking his vehicle at the terminal.

Curious about its contents, he said he opened the bag and was shocked to see the dead baby estimated to be about seven months old.

Balalad said the baby had a long open wound on his chest.

“It was likely that the baby boy’s chest was cut open. But we’re not sure if his internal organs were gone,” said village chairman Gualberto Casaje.

Two Severed Heads Found

2010-09-19T04:04:00.000+08:00

an Inquirer report from 2008

Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag, chief of Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU), said the two heads were found by scavengers floating along a creek in Sitio (sub-village) West Riverside, Barangay (village) San Antonio at around 9:30 a.m.

Quoting witnesses, Mabanag said the heads were already bloated and in the early stages of decomposition.

He said they believe the heads belonged to members of a drug syndicate who may have been killed by their gangmates.

“Members of illegal drugs syndicate are known to kill their members in such ghastly ways,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).

Mabanag said they invited a woman who had gone to their office Wednesday night to file a blotter entry about her husband and their friend, who went missing after they were allegedly abducted by unidentified men in Quiapo, Manila a week ago.

Batang City Jail gang members executed

2010-08-03T22:53:00.000+08:00

Heavily tattooed men found dead in Quiapo
By Jeannette Andrade, Philippine Daily Inquirer 08/03/2010

MANILA, Philippines—The bodies of two heavily tattooed gang members, believed to be victims of summary execution, were discovered early Tuesday, after they were dumped under a bridge in Quiapo, Manila.

Both members of the Batang City Jail had been strangled to death before they were dumped.

Police Officer 3 Jay Santos of the Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section identified the victims as Jimmy Reyes, 31, of Oroquieta Street in Sta. Cruz; and an alias “Ivan,” whom he described to be between 30 and 40 years old, with his hair dyed. Both men bore tattoos all over their bodies and were half-naked.

Santos said that their bodies were discovered by a street sweeper at around 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, near a shop under the Quezon Bridge in Quiapo.

The case investigator revealed that street sweeper Noel De Castro, of the Leonel Waste Management Incorporated, was cleaning the streets near a handicraft store under the bridge when he stumbled onto the bodies which were slumped on the concrete pavement.

He immediately sought police assistance from the MPD Sta. Cruz Station 3 Barbosa outpost.

Santos observed ligature marks around the necks of the bodies showing that they were strangled to death. The bodies were brought to the St. Yvan funeral parlor for autopsy and safekeeping.

Homicide investigators are conducting follow-up operations to determine the motive and to identify the killers.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20100803-284721/Heavily-tattooed-men-found-dead-in-Quiapo

Hiding drugs in the Virgin Mary

2010-07-09T22:17:00.000+08:00

Antonio Sanchez, former mayor of Calauan, Laguna, was caught with one kilo of shabu inside his cell at the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison, (NBP) where he is serving seven life terms for the rape-murder of Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of Allan Gomez, both students of the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) in 1993, reports Pilipino Star Ngayon.

NBP Director General Oscar Calderon told Pilipino Star Ngayon that Sanchez is suspected of selling shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) worth a total of P1.5 million to his fellow prisoners. The drugs were found concealed inside a statue of the Virgin Mary during one of NBP's random checkups. Sanchez has been known to collect icons of the Virgin Mary.

FROM: http://www.spot.ph/the-feed/46060/bilibid-inmate-ex-mayor-antonio-sanchez-caught-with-shabu-concealed-in-virgin-mary-statue

Woman falls to her death in Shangri-la Mall

2010-07-02T01:17:00.001+08:00

Picture uploaded by maitecaliente
http://twitpic.com/21fpfb

Here's the report from SPOT.PH
http://www.spot.ph/2010/07/01/lady-dentist-falls-off-6th-floor-of-mandaluyongs-shangri-la-plaza-mall/

Dr. Mary Ann Magtoto, a dentist, died after falling six floors inside the Shangri-la Plaza mall in Mandaluyong City today, according to ABS-CBNNews.com. Reports say she landed on the second floor of the mall at 3:50 p.m. Police “have yet to determine if the woman jumped off or was pushed,” said ABS-CBNNews.com

Twitter was abuzz about the incident this afternoon. Twitter user NeilParas posted a picture of the scene, with the dead woman lying facedown on the mall’s floor. Another Twitterer, maitecaliente, posted a photo of Magtoto surrounded by bystanders.

TV host Drew Arellano, who was at Shangri-la Plaza at the time, Tweeted, “I’m on the 6th flr and people around me heard a loud smack… They took the body away. They covered the blood on the floor with white towels but red/brown color still visible.”

Here are the tweets from http://twitter.com/inquirerdotnet
Mandaluyong chief of police says dentist Mary Ann Magtoto who fell from upper floor in Shangri-La Mall DOA at 4:20pm--Beverly

Picture and report from ABS-CBS NEWS:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/07/01/10/woman-falls-6th-flr-shangri-la-mall

UPDATES:

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/195018/cops-probe-dentists-fatal-fall-in-mandaluyong-mall
...the victim did not show any effort to protect herself from the fall), the witness said. A man who identified himself as Dr. Peter Milaor claimed that victim was his cousin, and he positively identified her as Mary Ann. The report said Milaor claimed he was able to review the video recording of the mall's closed-circuit television (CCTV), which showed Mary Ann repeatedly going up and down the escalator, seemingly contemplating deeply on something.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/07/02/10/police-woman-shangri-la-mall-jumped-6th-floor
Superintendent Roseller Sta. Maria, deputy chief of the Mandaluyong City police, said a British national saw Dr. Mary Ann Magtoto jump from the 6th floor. Sta. Maria said the foreigner said in his sworn statement that he saw Magtoto climb the escalator's railing before jumping off.

The victim's face was wrapped in packaging tape

2010-06-21T08:33:00.000+08:00

Man killed; body thrown into river
By Jeannette Andrade, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 06/20/2010

The decomposing body of a man was fished out of the Pasig River in Manila before dawn on Sunday.

Manila Police District homicide section investigators described the still unidentified half-naked victim as between 25 and 37 years old, 5’6” tall and of medium build.

His head was wrapped in packaging tape while his hands and feet were tied.

Case investigator Police Officer 3 Jaime Gonzales said in his report that a green towel was looped around the victim’s neck.

Gonzales added that the body was discovered floating in the river at around 3:45 a.m. yesterday near the Del Pan Elliptical Road in Ermita.

(It's interesting to note that in the past couple of years, victims have been found with their faces wrapped in packaging tape, their hands and feet bound, but this is the first time a body has been found floating in the Pasig. They are usually found dumped in some street corner. I wonder what makes this victim different. I also wonder if this victim also had stab wounds/gun shot wounds and if he had gang tattoos, like all the others.)

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20100620-276653/Man-killed-body-thrown-into-river

Aswang Attack in South Cotabato

2010-05-29T09:42:00.001+08:00

Boy survives 'aswang' attack

(RCB/With reports from Ramil Bajo)

SunStar Davao, September 25, 2004

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2004/09/25/news/boy.survives.aswang.attack.html

THE "aswang," a creature that eats human flesh, may be brushed off as a creature of Filipino folklore and a product of the imagination in the olden days, but for a 16-year-old boy in Tantangan, South Cotabato, it is real.

Tata Porras, 16, of Barangay Cabuling in Tantangan, claimed his 14-year-old brother Michael was attacked by an aswang, which he claimed was disguised as a big black dog with red, glowering eyes.

Porras' descriptions aptly fit the physical appearance of the supernatural being who has the ability to transform itself into different forms while devouring a prey.

He claimed that he and his younger brother were sleeping in a small makeshift hut near their ricefield on the evening of September 22, guarding their farm ducks, when the incident happened.

The boys' parents were sleeping in their house just a few meters away from the ricefield.

"Aswang talaga ang nakita ko," Tata said, adding that the big black dog about three feet-high was about to bite the neck of his younger brother when he saw it.

"Nang kakagatin na niya ang kapatid ko, kinuha ko kaagad ang nakatago naming single shot na baril at binaril ko ang aswang (When I saw the 'aswang' about to bite my younger brother, I grabbed our single shot rifle and I shoot the 'aswang')," Tata said.

He said the "aswang" fled and was lost in the dark.

Prior to the alleged attack, Tata said he heard a squeaking sound outside the makeshift hut.

"Papalayo sa tinutulugan naming dalawa yung ingay," the boy said.

Michael was hit in his right leg when Tata fired the shot at the aswang. He was immediately brought to the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital (SCPH) for medical treatment.

Neighbors who rushed to the boys' location reported hearing Tata shouting, "aswang, aswang!" while pointing to a dark portion of the ricefields.

A local radio station carried the story on air, but some residents refused to believe the story, brushing this off a figment of the boy's imagination.

Others however believe it, citing personal accounts and stories they heard from their friends and relatives living in the allegedly aswang-infested localities in southern Philippines.

Based on the Filipino superstitious beliefs, the usual targets of the aswang are pregnant women and young children. It usually attacks on or before midnight.

Dead woman found in Pasig River

2010-05-28T04:00:00.000+08:00

Woman’s body fished out of Pasig
reported by Tina G. Santos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 05/26/2010
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20100526-272220/Womans-body-fished-out-of-Pasig

A decomposing body of a woman was fished out of the Pasig River after it was discovered by passengers on board a ferry boat Wednesday morning in Manila.

Police described the still unidentified woman to be about 25 to 30 years old, about 5’2” to 5’4” in height and clad in a red blouse, black bra and gray underwear.

Police added that the body of the victim was already in an advanced state of decomposition.

Investigation showed that the body was discovered floating around 6 a.m. Wednesday near Saltug Compound in Barangay 900 Zone 100 in Punta, Sta. Ana.

The ferry boat, filled with about 20 to 30 passengers, was cruising along the river off the shore of Saltug Compound when they saw the body, which they at first thought to be a dead dolphin.

Police said the captain of the ferry boat immediately informed the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) of their find.

Another Execution?

2010-05-20T09:49:00.000+08:00

Body, severed arm found
Reported by Jeannette I. Andrade and Paulo Cuento
Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 18, 2010
http://politics.inquirer.net/politics/view/20100519-270809/MetroBriefs

A SIGN which said “holdaper ako (I’m a robber)” was found on the body of a dead man at the corner of Tayuman Avenue and Anacleto Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila, before dawn yesterday. The victim’s hands were bound while there was a gag on his mouth. The police said he had been strangled to death.

Three hours after the discovery of the body, a severed arm was also found at Sta. Mesa. Case investigator PO2 Lester Evangelista said that barangay officials were on patrol when they spotted a large object wrapped in a white blanket on the sidewalk. The still unidentified victim was described as between 25 and 35 years old, at least 5’ 5” tall, of medium build and dressed in a white T-shirt and blue denim pants. Meanwhile, electrician Danilo Alvarado was on his way to work at a building of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines when he saw a package containing a human arm. He immediately reported his find to the police.

Two abandonded fetuses found in Manila

2010-05-18T15:37:00.000+08:00

Fetuses found in Manila
reported by Paulo Cuento, contributor, Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20100517-270476/MetroBriefs

Two fetuses were found inside public toilets on separate occasions in Manila on Saturday.

The first one was found at 5:30 a.m. in a public toilet at the corner of Linao and Enriquez Streets in Paco district.

The second was found some 12 hours later in a fast food restaurant. SPO3 Jonathan Ruiz of the Manila Police District homicide section said the first fetus, around five to seven months, was found by 59-year-old handyman Jose Deocariza when he attempted to repair a clogged toilet. He immediately reported his discovery to the police.

The police said they received another call at around 6 p.m. when another fetus was found minutes earlier in the restroom of a fast food restaurant at the corner of Quirino and Taft Avenues in Ermita district. Christopher Agot, a utility personnel of the restaurant, said he discovered the fetus in a bottle that had been placed inside the toilet bowl.

Both fetuses were brought to St. Harold funeral parlor.

Man and woman, wrapped, found dead along C-5

2010-04-22T17:13:00.000+08:00

Couple killed in Taguig
Reported by Angel Ermita, trainee
Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE BODIES of a man and a woman were found on C-5 Road in Taguig City Wednesday morning. Senior Supt. Camilo Cascolan, city police chief, identified the couple as Angeline Ann Flores, 19, and her live-in partner, Jimboy Sabaresa, 20, residents of Barangay Katuparan.

In a phone interview, Cascolan said the victims were probably killed because of a misunderstanding with a man he identified as Mat Sorbito.

“The victims were apparently selling a laptop,” he told the Inquirer although he refused to elaborate as the investigation was still ongoing.

The bodies were discovered by a passerby at around 5:45 a.m. Police operatives said Flores’ body was wrapped in tarpaulin while Sabaresa had been stuffed inside a sack. He had a gunshot wound in the wrist. Cascolan said Sorbito was now the subject of a manhunt.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20100421-265717/Metrobriefs

Korean woman found dead in Quezon City

2010-04-12T17:09:00.005+08:00

Korean businesswoman found dead in car
By Jerry Botial (The Philippine Star) April 11, 2010
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=565362&publicationSubCategoryId=65

MANILA, Philippines - A Korean businesswoman was found dead in the backseat of her own car in Quezon City yesterday morning.

Chief Inspector Benjamin Elenzano, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) homicide investigation chief, said Kim Young Suk, 52, a resident of Loyola Heights, was found sprawled in the backseat of her blue Ford Lynx (XAR-636) parked in front of her rented house along Xavierville Avenue yesterday at 9 a.m.

The cause of her death is still being determined. SPO1 Mario Turiano of the QCPD’s Crime Investigation and Detection Unit, said according to Sandra Kim, the victim’s friend, Kim owned a coffee shop in the area and had been engaged in business in the country for some years.

Turiano said her face was swollen and no traces of blood were found anywhere near the body.

FROM : http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/04/10/10/korean-businesswoman-found-dead-car

Investigators suspect foul play.

The Quezon City Police Department-Scene of the Crime Operations (QCPD-SOCO) said Kim’s cellphone, jewelry and handbag were missing.

Police said there were also other pieces of evidence which indicate the victim was not alone shortly before she died.

“May maiikling buhok na hindi match sa biktima na nakita sa driver’s seat… kita rin ang undies [underwear], tinitignan [namin] kung may sexual intercourse,” said Senior Inspector Elizalde Odo, team leader of the QCPD SOCO Team.

UPDATE: Based on the limited information given in these news reports, I asked The Doctors to speculate on the possible cause of death of the victim.

Dr. H said : if there was no sign of blood trauma, it could be due to two things: she might have had pulmonary congestion and so there was a damming back of blood to the upper extremities. Second, it might have been due to postmortem change but this would be together with other signs of postmortem lividity. I think there could be a third one, this person might be a suffering from chronic asthma and that's part of a change in the long time use of steroids.

Dr. D said : Or maybe she was strangled... That would explain the swollen face, different kind of hair in her hand and the fact that she was in the backseat of the car.

Face will get swollen because of constriction in the neck. It would be helpful if there were bruises, hematomas noted in the neck that are circumferential or are in the shape of fingers. That would lead to the conclusion of strangulation.

Different kind of hair in the hand might point to a struggle. Imagine yourself being strangled by someone. You'd try anything to take that grip off your neck... like pulling on the other person's hair. You'd also kick and claw at anything you can reach. So it would be helpful if they found anything under the nails of the victim. Blood, seat material or fabric and dead skin which is not the victims are usually a signs that there was a struggle.

Three more suicides this summer

2010-04-10T12:44:00.002+08:00

Suicide cases rising
Nancy C. Carvajal, Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20100409-263324/Metrobriefs

A man jumped to his death from the second floor of the hospital where he was confined after an earlier attempt to commit suicide by stabbing himself failed on Thursday in Quezon City.

In a separate incident, also in Quezon City, a construction worker is now under close watch in a hospital after he survived a suicide try with the timely arrival of his brother.

The two separate incidents brought to nine the number of suicide cases recorded in Quezon City. “The frequency of such reports is alarming and I have ordered a study on how the police can get involved in its prevention,” said Chief Supt. Elmo San Diego, city district director.

PO1 Hermogenes Capili of the QCPD homicide section identified the dead victim as Rene Yurag of Cebu City. Yurag had at least 10 stab wounds in various parts of the body when he was brought to the hospital. Based on his relatives’ accounts, Yurag stabbed himself inside the bathroom of his cousin’s house in Sauyo Road where he had been staying since he arrived from Cebu a week ago. The relatives said they did not know why the victim would kill himself.

Chopped Up Body Found

2010-04-05T08:45:00.002+08:00

A report from the Inquirer's METRO section filed by Jeannette I. Andrade
http://politics.inquirer.net/politics/view/20100405-262418/MetroBriefs

A scavenger fished out a man’s torso from a creek in Tondo, Manila the other day. The body part, a Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section investigator said, was found in a sack at the Estero de Vitas.

Last week, scavengers found a man’s head in the same area followed by the discovery of two left legs at the Pasig River and Smokey Mountain in succeeding days.

Case investigator PO3 Joseph Kabigting said there were several tattoos on the torso—the name Edgar on the abdomen and the letters L on the right shoulder, N in the middle of the chest area and C on the left shoulder.

Fetus in mayonnaise jar found

2010-03-22T03:43:00.001+08:00

reported by Jeannette Andrade, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03/21/2010
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20100321-260041/Fetus-in-mayonnaise-jar-found

MANILA, Philippines – A fetus was found late Saturday night, placed inside a mayonnaise jar and dumped in a garbage pile in Manila.

The male fetus, between four and five months old, was discovered by 59-year-old scavenger Ernesto Gonzales while he was sifting through the garbage for materials he could salvage and sell.

Senior Police Officer 3 Dennis Paul Javier of the Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section said that the discovery was made at around 10 p.m., Saturday, at a garbage pile along Ayala Avenue in Ermita.

Javier revealed that Gonzales had picked up the mayonnaise bottle with the intention of cleaning it up and selling it but was surprised to find a fetus inside.

The scavenger immediately reported his discovery to the nearest MPD station. The fetus was brought to the St. Harold funeral parlor for safekeeping while homicide investigators conduct follow-up operations to determine who disposed of the body in the trash pile.

Is the Garbage Collector back?

2010-02-26T22:39:00.003+08:00

Body in sack fished out of Pasig, By Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 02/26/2010

The body of an unidentified street gang member, believed to be a victim of summary execution, was found Friday morning stuffed into a sack and dumped in the Pasig River in Manila.

Manila Police District homicide section investigators described the man to be between 45 and 55 years old, 5-foot-7 inches tall, fair-skinned, of medium build and with several front teeth missing. He wore a green t-shirt, black short pants and bore the Commando gang tattoo on his body.

The Commando gang is usually composed of members who have been charged with crimes and have been jailed.

The corpse, which was stuffed head first into a violet rice sack, was found with a towel and brown packaging tape wrapped around the head, steel wire lopped around the neck and feet, and hands bound with plastic straw.

(And I continue to wonder if this crime to related to these ... http://metrocrimescene.blogspot.com/search/label/packaging%20tape)

PO2 Gerry Amores of the MPD homicide section said the body was fished out of the portion of the Pasig River along Muelle del Industria Street, Barangay 282 Zone 26, in Binondo at around 6:40 a.m.

Amores said the floating sack, with the feet of the victim jutting out, was first spotted by a concerned citizen who immediately informed SPO3 Reynaldo San Andres of the Lawton outpost of the MPD Ermita station 5.

REPORT FROM : http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20100226-255501/Body-in-sack-fished-out-of-Pasig

Executions in QC

2009-11-30T02:31:00.004+08:00

2 bodies dumped in QC
By Nancy C. Carvajal
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 11/29/2009

The bodies of two men believed to be victims of summary execution were found Sunday morning in Quezon City.

PO3 Joselito Gagaza of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit said the victims, whose heads were wrapped in packing tape, have yet to be identified.

Both had apparently been strangled to death because of the marks on their necks, he added. One of the men had a nylon cord tied around his neck while the other had an iron chain around his neck, he added.

NOTE : the report made no mention if the victims were stabbed or shot (which were usually seen in the other victims) and in this case, the victims were not wrapped in garbage bags

Henry Lomidao, a barangay tanod (neighborhood watchman), found the bodies at around 4:30 a.m., on Sunday, along Union Avenue Extension, Gloria III, in Barangay Culiat.

Gagaza said one of the victims could be a former inmate because he had a BCJ tattoo. BCJ stands for Batang City Jail.

The victim with the BCJ tattoo was described as between 35 and 40 years old, 5’6” in height, of slim build and with fair complexion. He was dressed in a black pair of cargo pants and a white long-sleeved shirt, which was worn over a black T-shirt and an undershirt.

On the other hand, the other victim was described as 5’3” in height, of medium build and clad in a pair of gray pants and blue shirt with long sleeves.

Gagaza said it appeared that both victims had been killed somewhere else and their bodies were only dumped in the area.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20091129-239175/2-bodies-dumped-in-QC

Ex-soldier stopped from suicide jump

2009-10-05T23:03:00.003+08:00

Half-naked ex-soldier stopped from suicide jump
By Frinston Lim, Inquirer Mindanao
10/05/2009

TAGUM CITY, Philippines—Tension gripped residents in this city as a former soldier climbed a 140-foot telecommunications tower in an apparent suicide attempt early Monday morning.

Albert Carbo, 51, was safely brought down by rescue volunteers after a two-hour standoff, according to Senior Inspector Eleuterio Hernando, an officer of the Tagum City police station.

The incident began at past 7 a.m. when residents saw a man, with only his briefs on, scale up the Sun Cellular cellsite tower in Barangay Magugpo West, Hernando said.

“He is apparently suffering a nervous breakdown,” Dr. Arnel Florendo of the city health office told reporters. Florendo was among the first to talk to the victim as soon as he was safely led down the tower.

“The victim was hallucinating that someone or something is constantly pursuing him,” Florendo said, adding he is recommending a psychiatric evaluation of the victim's condition in order to help him.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20091005-228504/Half-naked-ex-soldier-stopped-from-suicide-jump

boy with power ring found dead

2009-10-02T04:18:00.003+08:00

a report from the Cebu Daily News
By Chris Ligan, 07/26/2009
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/metro/view/20090726-217299/Boy-with-power-found-dead

A 17-year-old boy was found hanging by the neck in his house in barangay Bangkal, Lapu-Lapu City at dawn Saturday.

The dead boy was found by his mother under their house.

An electrical cord was tied around his neck and the other end was tied to the bamboo slats of the house’s elevated flooring, a height of about eight feet, said PO3 Candido Barenque of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office.

Police have recommended an autopsy to determine the cause of death and whether foul play was involved.

The teenager was last seen in a drinking session with friends.

The boy’s parents told police their son started acting strangely after he told them he found a ring a few days back.

The boy claimed that the ring gave him extra strength.

After his revelation, the parents said they noticed the teenager behaving unusually.

He was more hotheaded and depressed in recent days.

The parents said the boy explained that he was depressed because he failed to complete a task that would “give him additional powers”.

On Friday night, the boy asked money from his parents and had a drinking session with friends.

The mother said she didn’t notice her son come home.

She went out of the house looking for him only to find him hanging by the neck under their house about 2 a.m.

Albularyo asked to check if woman was possessed

2009-10-02T04:14:00.003+08:00

Businesswoman jumps to her death in Manila
By Jeannette Andrade, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 10/01/2009

A 44-year-old Palawan resort owner died instantly Thursday morning after jumping from her 15th floor condominium unit at a 33-story building in Manila.

Before the suicide of Elena Flisi, the owner of the Dolarog Beach Resort in El Nido, Palawan, and a resident of unit 1501 of the Mayfair Tower at the corner of United Nations Avenue and Mabini Street, her 54-year-old Italian husband Edo Flisi claimed that she had been acting strangely.

“She had been showing signs of not being herself,” Flisi told SPO3 Richard Lumbad of the Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section.

Flisi, of unit 1501 of the Mayfair Tower who has been in the country for 20 years, disclosed that he returned to the country on September 7 as soon as siblings of his wife informed him that Elena had not been herself.

“We talked when I arrived at 12 midnight (of September 30) at our unit and her actuations were strange,” Flisi said in his statement. Lumbad pointed out that on September 18, the suicide’s mother died in Barangay (Village) Corong-Corong, El Nido, Palawan, and had to be transferred to Quezon Province.

Elena’s siblings told Lumbad that in Quezon Province, they noticed that the businesswoman was acting strange and had an albularyo (traditional healer) look at her because she acted as if she were possessed. She was reportedly never cured and remained depressed even after she returned to Manila to her home at the Mayfair Tower.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20091001-227860/Businesswoman-jumps-to-her-death-in-Manila

he came in the police station with a plastic bag containing a severed head

2009-10-01T03:09:00.002+08:00

Boss beheaded by unpaid worker
by Tina Santos, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Manila policemen were preparing murder charges on Wednesday against a young man who admitted he killed and then beheaded his 59-year-old employer in Quiapo over the weekend because he had not been paid his wages for two weeks.

According to Chief Insp. Erwin Margarejo, chief of the Manila Police District homicide division, Srejan Sia, 24, a stay-in helper at Bernadette Eatery on San Rafael Street, Quiapo, Manila, is facing murder charges for the death of his employer, Jimmy Preston, 59.

Policemen at the Plaza Miranda Police Community Precint in Quiapo were shocked when the suspect surrendered to them on Tuesday night with a plastic bag containing the bloated and severed head of a man.

Senior Insp. Rodolfo Samoranos, the precinct commander, said the suspect later admitted to him that the head belonged to Preston and added that he was the one who killed the victim.

The headless body of the victim was found inside the bathroom wrapped in plastic sheet and lying in an improvised bath tub. Police also recovered two knives and a hammer believed to be used in the killing.

At the police station, Sia, who spoke in broken English and appeared restless, said he killed his employer because he had not been paid for the past two weeks.

Prior to the victim's death, the suspect said he was asking for his salary but the victim refused, resulting in a heated argument between them.

The suspect said he first hit the victim on the head with a piece of wood before he decided to cut off his penis, ears and then the head using a machete.

"I cut his dick and ears because I want them to blame the dogs," he said, adding that he later decided to surrender the head of the victim to the authorities.

"I don't know where to bury him so I surrendered his head," the suspect added.

Police said the suspect appeared mentally ill and are looking into reports that the victim had a romantic relationship with the suspect.

The suspect is now detained at the MPD headquarters.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090930-227722/Boss-beheaded-by-unpaid-worker

Digging their way to the bank

2009-09-26T12:28:00.000+08:00

Hole found under Quezon City bank vault
By Nancy C. Carvajal, Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090925-226902/Hole-found-under-Quezon-City-bank-vault

A two-meter deep hole directly under the vault of a Quezon City bank was found on Wednesday by security guards, leading police to believe it was the work of robbers.

Chief Supt. Elmo San Diego, Quezon City Police District director, said a robbery could have been foiled with the discovery of the hole beneath the vault of a Banco de Oro branch on Tandang Sora Road in Quezon City.

Supt. Alex Sintin, commander of QCPD Station 3, said the diggings were found Wednesday afternoon behind the bank in Barangay Sangandaan.

Sintin theorized that the robbers could have started digging last week because of the long weekend break.

He said police had, since the discovery, been monitoring the area to find out if those who dug the hole would come back. “Up to now, no one has returned. Apparently they knew that we had been on the lookout for them,” Sintin added.

The diggings were traced to a lot near the bank where three shanties shielded by tall grass had been erected.

The Trinoma Suicides

2009-09-20T22:48:00.004+08:00

Today's report on the supposed suicide in SM Fairview made me search for these news items:

Dead on arrival (November 15, 2007)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20071115-100983/MetroBriefs

MALL goers were surprised when a man jumped from the upper floor of the Trinoma shopping center in Quezon City and landed on another man on Tuesday afternoon. Zeno Jerome Pilar, 24, of 1802-A Florentino St. in Sampaloc, Manila, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, according to reports of the Quezon City Police District. Initial investigation revealed that Pilar, an engineer, jumped from the mall’s upper floors and landed on Rico Abendan who was seated on a bench at the Trinoma activity center. Abendon was also brought to the VMMC where he was treated for a fractured left foot. Police are still trying to determine why Pilar jumped. Marlet D. Salazar

Man falls to his death at TriNoma By Thea Alberto (May 16, 2008)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080516-137053/Man-falls-to-his-death-at-TriNoma

MANILA, Philippines -- A man died after he fell from an upper floor of an upscale shopping mall in Quezon City Friday, police said.

The still unidentified man was found lying dead on the ground floor of TriNoma’s carpark building, said Superintendent Franklin Mabanag, Quezon City police district chief for criminal investigation unit.

A report on dzMM Teleradyo said the man, believed to be in his mid or late 20’s, may have committed suicide.

But Mabanag said police were looking at the possibility of foul play.

From the blog of "siopaomaster" dated November 14, 2007 : "NOT FOR THE WEAK STOMACH. Around 6:30pm. someone jumped and killed himself. Photos courtesy of my Informatics students"
http://siopaomaster.multiply.com/photos/album/122/Suicide_Trinoma

GMA News' report on the November 2007 Trinoma suicide
http://www.gmanews.tv/largevideo/related/14193/QC-cops-probe-fall-of-man-in-Trinoma

Suicide in the Mall

2009-09-20T22:36:00.003+08:00

Student jumps to his death in mall
By Julie M. Aurelio, Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: September 19, 2009
http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=20090919-226021

A student of a computer school jumped to his death from the third floor of a mall in Quezon City on Friday night reportedly because of personal problems.

The apparent suicide, Danilo Jadd Coronel, 18, landed on the ground floor food court of the SM Fairview mall on Quirino Highway after taking the plunge at around 6:45 p.m.

Case investigator Police Officer 2 Joycelyn Marcelo of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit said the victim was a student of STI College and a resident of Camus Extension in Malabon City.

“The victim had a personal problem and he also left an alleged suicide note for his parents,” Marcelo said without providing details.

Initial investigation showed that Coronel and a friend, Crystal Enriquez, were walking in front of Story Land on SM Fairview’s third floor at around 6:45 p.m. Friday.

Coronel suddenly jumped from the third floor and crashed on the ground floor food court, sending his friend Enriquez to seek help from mall nurse Jennifer Subjano.

Subjano, along with customer relation service supervisor Chona Lopez and building official Bryan Balino, rushed Coronel to the FEU Medical Center.

However, the victim was declared dead on arrival by attending physician Dr Eden Lazala at around 7:20 p.m.

OTHER REPORTS ABOUT THIS SUICIDE:

Teen jumps to death in mall
(The Philippine Star) September 20, 2009
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=506817&publicationSubCategoryId=65

Student jumps to death in mall
By: Joel dela Torre, Journal Online
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2009-09-20&sec=1&aid=103313

Estudyante nag-suicide sa mall
Jethro Sinocruz, Abante Tonite
http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/sep2009/crime_news2.htm

Woman killed and set on fire

2009-09-16T23:58:00.004+08:00

Taguig cops find woman’s body set on fire
reported by Niña Catherine Calleja

THE BODY of a still unidentified woman, who may have been killed earlier according to police, was set on fire on the sidewalk of C5 road in Taguig City Monday past midnight. Police Officer 2 Allan Corpus, Taguig police investigator, said mobile patrol men were making the rounds in Barangay Fort Bonifacio at around 12:30 p.m. when they noticed a fire across the street near McKinley Hill Village.

Upon checking it, the lawmen were taken aback to find out a burning body of a woman. Corpus said the face of the woman was already beyond recognition after the police put out the fire.

The woman, wearing black upper undergarment and short pants, may be killed first before she was set on fire for the purpose of hiding the crime, Corpus said. Police found four cigarette butts and a folded shirt reeking of flammable fluid, Corpus said.

REPORT FROM THE INQUIRER:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20090916-225391/Metrobriefs

an UPDATED report by Marlon Ramos

A “trained killer” could be behind the gruesome slaying of a still unidentified woman whose charred body was found near an upscale subdivision on C-5 Road in Taguig City the other day, police said Wednesday.

Senior Supt. Camilo Cascolan, Taguig police chief, said the assailant crushed the woman’s hands before setting the victim on fire apparently to destroy her fingerprints and hide the crime.

He added that it was possible that the victim knew her killer.

“With the way she was murdered, the killer may have been very angry with her. The killer also seemed to know how to hide the crime because the victim’s fingerprints were completely destroyed,” Cascolan said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20090916-225583/Trained-killer-may-be-behind-C-5-Road-slay

The Davao Death Squad

2009-09-12T01:59:00.005+08:00

Vigilante-style attacks attributed to the Davao Death Squad (DDS) have resumed here and in other parts of southern Mindanao since August, claiming the lives of at least 22 more victims, officials said.

The situation is “disturbing,” State Prosecutor Antonio Arellano said. Fifteen cases have been reported in August and seven others in just four days of this month alone, he said.

Since 1998, more than 900 people, including those with criminal records and juvenile offenders, have been victims of unexplained killings in Davao City.

THE REPORT CONTINUES TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE VICTIMS WERE EXECUTED

In nearby Digos City, the latest victim was a young unidentified male, possibly a minor, whose body was dumped in a grassy area of Purok Catleya in Barangay Tiguman at around 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

Chief Insp. Anthony Padua, Digos police chief, placed the victim’s age at 15 or 17 years. “He was stabbed at least 17 times in the head, neck, back, arms and belly,” he said.

In the late 1990s, the killers rode on motorcycles and gunned down their victims, most of whom were known to be gang members and illegal drug peddlers. But recently, the killings were done by stabbing.

Some victims were murdered just minutes after their release from prison, while others were executed days after they committed a crime.

In some cases, the DDS warned families of would-be victims.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090911-224645/Davao-Death-Squad-22-more-victims

Woman allegedly sets self on fire

2009-09-09T19:56:00.003+08:00

"Woman trader allegedly sets self on fire" By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090909-224403/Woman-trader-allegedly-sets-self-on-fire

A businesswoman having deep financial troubles allegedly set herself ablaze while driving her car with her stepdaughter still inside the vehicle Wednesday morning in Rodriguez town, the police said.

But the police said they were not yet prepared to declare the case of Antonia Golez, 58, a widow, as a suicide pending the results of the crime scene investigation and the questioning of the victim’s stepdaughter Princess Rose Ann, 18.

Based on the initial report, at about 8:42 a.m. Golez was driving her Nissan sedan, with plate number TMD -729, along a zigzag road in Barangay San Jose, with Princess in the passenger seat, when the victim allegedly reached for a gasoline container.

Princess told investigators her stepmother doused herself with gasoline and set herself on fire using a lighter while the car was still moving, said Supt. Felipe Abigan Jr., chief of the Rodriguez police.

“Princess escaped by jumping out of the car. When she came to us, she had bruises on her body,” Abigan said.

Eyewitnesses told investigators that “there was no attempt” on the part of Golez to get out of the car, the official said.

Golez, who had a transport business in the town, was reportedly depressed about her financial problems.

The two had gone on a trip to Quezon City to borrow money from someone and were on their way back home when the incident occurred, Abigan said. “Princess said they were not quarreling and were just having a normal conversation when it happened,” he said.

After Golez set herself ablaze, Princess jumped out of the moving car which kept going until it stopped when it hit the gutter, Abigan said.

Firefighters came too late to rescue the businesswoman, who was burned beyond recognition. The car was also totally razed. A scene-of-the-crime operations team processed the scene.

As of press time, Princess was still being held and questioned at the Rodriguez police station. Abigan said she would be released once the investigators had ruled out any foul play in the case.

Masked Gunman

2009-07-23T20:49:00.002+08:00

A 27-year-old man was shot dead by a masked gunman here on Wednesday evening, raising suspicion that a copycat of the shadowy vigilante group blamed for the deaths of at least 900 people in Southern Mindanao since 1990s has become active anew.

Al Amen Magarang Abdullah was playing computer games inside an Internet café along First Crumb St. here around 9:30 p.m. when the gunman arrived with another companion and shot him dead, Chief Inspector Anthony Padua, city police director, said.

Quoting witnesses, Padua said the gunman casually entered the Internet café' and shot Magarang. He said the gunman left without a fuss and fled onboard the motorcycle driven by his companion. He said the victim died instantly.

Police investigators said they recovered two slugs and two spent shells of a .45 caliber pistol from the crime scene.

Some residents, who spoke to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, said Abdullah's death could be the handiwork of the so-called Digos Death Squad.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20090723-216895/Man-shot-dead-in-Internet-caf-in-Digos

Murder in the Manila City Jail

2009-07-23T20:47:00.001+08:00

Woman visiting lover in jail found dead
By Jeannette Andrade

A 25-year-old woman was strangled to death late Wednesday afternoon allegedly by her detained common-law husband during her conjugal visit at the Manila City Jail (MCJ).

Joan Fernandez, of Interior 60, Zamora Street in Pandacan, was found dead inside one of the conjugal visit rooms of the detention facility in Sta. Cruz, just minutes after her live-in partner Nelson Danao, 24, left her and returned to his cell at dormitory 2 where he is held for a robbery charge.

Police Officer 2 Jaime Gonzales of the Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section said that Fernandez’s body was found at around 3:45 p.m. by MCJ inmate Eduardo Ruban who maintains the conjugal visit room.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090723-216891/Woman-visiting-lover-in-jail-found-dead

White Lady causes bus accident?

2009-07-13T00:59:00.000+08:00

FROM GMA NEWS http://www.gmanews.tv/story/166917/Report-White-lady-blamed-for-bus-crash

A mythical White Lady was blamed for an accident involving a passenger bus that went out control and crashed in the northern Philippine city of Tuguegarao, a radio report said Wednesday.

Bombo Radyo reported at least one passenger was injured in the incident involving the bus (BVB-535) plying the route between Tuguegarao and Santiago City.

Bus driver Rogelio Gaspar said a long-haired woman in white suddenly showed up in his path, prompting him to swerve to avoid hitting her. He said he lost control of the bus.

A local resident, Nonong Decena, said several road accidents had happened in the area, with motorists saying they tried to swerve to avoid hitting the White Lady.

Decena’s claim could not be immediately confirmed with the police.

Kilabot ng Quiapo

2009-07-04T03:31:00.004+08:00

Another dead body found in black trash bag.

(see: The Garbage Collector)

Could all these killings be connected or are they are copycats?

In Inquirer's report: The body of a man, believed to be a victim of summary execution, was found in Manila’s Quiapo district early Friday morning, police said.

The victim was described to be between 25 and 28 years old, about 5'5" to 5'6" in height, of medium built and with "J.R. Sebastian" tattoo on the chest and with a "Sigue-sigue" gang marking on his back, police said.

The body, which bore 29 stab wounds in the chest, hogtied and his face covered with masking tape, was found inside a black garbage bag along Quezon Boulevard underpass in Quiapo, Manila around 5 a.m., police said.

Also found beside the victim's body was a paper written with the words "Kilabot ng Quiapo."

29 stab wounds?

That must have been made by one angry unsub or by several attackers.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090703-213705/Body-with-29-stab-wounds-found-in-Quiapo

AND AT:

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=483561&publicationSubCategoryId=65

NOTE: photo above from the Philippine Star

The Ruby Rose Murder

2009-06-16T22:15:00.005+08:00

Mafia-style murder: Steel drum, cement
http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=20090612-210050

It took more than two hours for crime laboratory experts from Camp Crame to remove just the first layer of what served as Ruby Rose Jimenez’s tomb: A well-soldered steel barrel filled with concrete and encased in another welded steel box.

Another couple more hours or so were spent cutting open the light blue-colored drum, where the remains of the missing Ruby Rose were eventually found, immersed in soggy concrete.

“The entire thing, including the cement, probably weighed about a ton,” said an officer from the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak with the media.

Counting the hours they spent prying open the tightly sealed container on Wednesday afternoon, experts believed that Ruby Rose’s killers had meticulously prepared for her disappearance with the intention that she would never be found.

“Whoever was behind it really worked on it. The steel casings were welded,” said the officer.

The metal box was fished out of Navotas waters in Manila Bay the other day by local police following a tip from a suspect, who wanted to turn state witness in exchange for a lesser punishment.

A fishing magnate is a key suspect in the Mafia-style murder.

Ruby Rose disappeared on March 14, 2007, after a bitter custody dispute with her estranged husband for their two children.

Last week, police arrested one of seven suspects, said Metro Manila police commander Chief Supt. Roberto Rosales.

CIDG tapped to speed up Ruby Rose slay probe
The Philippine National Police has tapped its Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to speed up the investigation of the Ruby Rose Barrameda-Jimenez slay case, a Mafia-style murder that sent shock waves across the law enforcement community.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090616-210720/CIDG-tapped-to-speed-up-Ruby-Rose-slay-probe

Witness says 5 killers were paid P250,000
The five men who carried out the gangland-style execution of Ruby Rose Barrameda-Jimenez each received P50,000 from the in-laws of the victim, a suspect-turned-state witness told police.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090615-210490/Witness-says-5-killers-were-paid-P250000

7 suspects in Barrameda slay summoned
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090616-210715/7-suspects-in-Barrameda-slay-summoned

Ruby Rose father-in-law, 6 others face murder charges
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Thursday said they are preparing the murder complaints against the father-in-law, lawyer Manuel Jimenez II and his brother, Lope Jimenez. Also facing charges are Eric Fernandez, Spike Discalzo, Roberto Ponce alias Abet, Rudy de la Cruz and Manuel Montero.

Montero is the informant who led police into discovering the metal box containing Ruby Rose’s body buried at the bottom of the Manila Bay.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/164718/Ruby-Rose-father-in-law-6-others-face-murder-charges

DOJ: Testimony of Ruby Rose murder witness strong
Newly-appointed Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said Saturday that the police has a very strong case against a fishing magnate who has been charged with murder for the gruesome killing of a former actress' sister two years ago.

"It's very difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the drum... On the basis of what the police have gathered, merong malakas na ebidensya (there is a strong evidence)," Devanadera said in an interview over radio dzMM, referring to Manuel Montero, a suspect-turned-witness in the killing of Ruby Rose Jimenez, sister of former actress Rochelle Barrameda.

Montero told police that Jimenez was strangled to death and then her body was placed inside a rectangular steel case filled with cement.

The steel case was loaded into a ship with the use of a forklift and then dumped into the seawaters of Navotas.

The suspect's confession led to the recovery of the body of Jimenez, who went missing in March 2007 while on her way to visit her two children, whose custody has been given by the court to her husband, Manuel "Third" Jimenez III.

MORE BODIES
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), the lead law enforcement unit handling the case, said Friday that Montero has admitted that their group was also responsible in several other Mafia-style killings.

Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales, NCRPO chief, said Montero is guiding them in the recovery of the bodies, also stuffed in drums and encases in cement.

“We received reports that the group are behind other killings so we are validating them. Our witness is helping us in pinpointing the exact location of the bodies,” said Rosales, noting that majority of the supposed victims are business rivals of shipping magnate Lope Jimenez.

Rosales said that after the discovery of Ruby Rose’s body, prominent families have contacted him, claiming Jimenez and his group may have something to do with the killing of their next of kin.

“We are uncovering more killings allegedly authored by the same suspects. I’m asking these relatives to come to my office so we could discuss the cases,” he said.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/06/13/09/doj-testimony-ruby-rose-murder-witness-strong

Bones

2009-05-14T18:30:00.000+08:00

A Japanese man was carrying the bones of up to 100 people wrapped in bags in his van when he was stopped at a checkpoint in Manila, police said Tuesday.

They want state prosecutors to file criminal charges against Kazuya Tomita, who was detained on April 25 after police inspected his van.

Local media said they may be the remains of Japanese soliders killed during World War II.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090512-204587/Japanese-with-bags-of-human-bones-detained

Another Strange Offering

2009-04-20T22:03:00.002+08:00

Fetus found in Sta. Mesa church : A church maintenance worker stumbled Sunday morning onto a fetus left on one of the pews at the Sta. Mesa parish in Manila. Benny Liasmine said he found the fetus inside a shopping bag as he was cleaning the church at around 9:30 a.m. Senior Police Officer 2 David Tuazon of the Manila Police District homicide section said the fetus was brought to the Universal Funeral Homes.

REPORTED AT:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20090419-200260/MetroBriefs

UPDATE:
Boy stumbles into 12th fetus thrown in Manila in '09
Joel Aguilar found the fetus placed inside a cardboard box beside the Sta. Cruz Church in Manila's Quiapo district at 2 a.m., authorities said.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151172/boy-stumbles-into-12th-fetus-thrown-in-manila-in-09

The Garbage Collector in Binondo?

2009-04-07T21:01:00.002+08:00

"A 21-year-old stevedore was found strangled to death then stuffed inside a sack after going missing for 24 hours in Manila. Joselito Mercader, of 325 Antonio Velasquez Street in Binondo, was naked, had strangulation marks around his neck, and his face had been wrapped up in packaging tape when discovered by an unidentified passerby."

Based on the report, the victim was not stabbed like the others that were found in trash bags with their faces covered in packaging tape. See: http://metrocrimescene.blogspot.com/2009/02/garbage-collector-returns.html

Could this be the work of a new unsub?

READ THE FULL REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090405-198044/Missing-stevedore-found-dead

Newborn baby kidnapped

2009-03-17T20:48:00.006+08:00

"Janet Banico, a 26-year-old bank teller, had already picked out a name for her daughter: Jharian Ezekiah. The first-time mother, however, never got a chance to name her newborn baby after two women whom she met by chance in a passenger jeepney last week kidnapped her, took the infant and then dumped her in front of a church in Manila."

According to the report, the mother was riding a jeepney and on her way to the hospital. She got out of the jeepney to get a cab and two women, who were also riding the jeepney, came down to help her. They joined her in the cab and gave her medicine to calm her down. The mother fell asleep and later woke up in a hospital gown, but she noted that the bedroom did not look like the usual hospital room.

She was kept there from Thursday til Sunday.

She woke up Sunday, 1am, in front of the Sta. Cruz church from across Plaza Sta. Cruz.

There was no sign of her shoes or her bag which contained P18,000 in cash and her cell phone.

Her baby was nowhere to be found.

read the complete report at:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20090317-194526/Newborn-baby-snatched-from-mother

follow-up report at:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20090318-194706/Cops-clueless-on-newborn-kidnap

Libre's report:
http://www.libre.com.ph/news-a-events/current-news/494-bagong-silang-na-sanggol-dinukot-ng-tumulong-sa-ina

Manila Bulletin's report:
http://www.mb.com.ph/node/199222

Fetuses in plastic bags

2009-03-11T18:59:00.001+08:00

2 fetuses found an hour apart in Manila
By Jeannette Andrade, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 12/21/2008

Two male fetuses were found outside a videoke bar and near an underpass at least an hour apart Sunday morning in Manila.

The fetuses were each placed inside an ice cream bucket with the umbilical cords still attached and the placenta intact.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20081221-179214/2-fetuses-found-an-hour-apart-in-Manila

Another vigilante?

2009-02-11T21:20:00.003+08:00

Reynaldo Q. Bartolome, 33, was found dead on Urbano Velasco Avenue in the village of Pinagbuhatan in the early morning of Tuesday. Hanging around his neck was a piece of cardboard with the message (in Filipino): "Don't be like me. I am a notorious drug pusher. I'm the man of Macmac Payapa." The victim sustained a gunshot wound to the head, and that his killing could be the work of vigilantes.

Reported by : DJ Yap, Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090210-188557/Another-vigilante-victim-found

This might be the work of another vigilante or group of vigilantes. The victim did not have any stab wounds and was not placed in a trash bag, like in the other killings.

Still, why does there seem to be increase in vigilante-style killings lately?

The Garbage Collector Returns?

2009-02-04T19:52:00.003+08:00

Five dead bodies found in three days.

All the victims had stab wounds
Two of them had gunshot wounds.

All of the victims’ faces were covers with packing tape.

All of them were tied with straw rope or wire. One of them was handcuffed.

Four of victims were wrapped in garbage bags.

One of them was stuffed in a wooden crate with a message that said the man inside was “holdaper”.

Some details of these crime scenes are very similar last year’s reports of dead bodies found in garbage bags : http://metrocrimescene.blogspot.com/2008/08/garbage-collector.html

What’s the connection?

Reported : January 29, 2009
http://archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&story_id=186289

The dead body of Darwin Pajarillo, 29, a fruit vendor, was found inside a wooden crate left on the Quezon Bridge in Manila’s Quiapo district early Thursday morning(3:30am). Written on top of it of the crate was a message that read, “Holdaper ako, huwag niyo ako tularan (I am a holdup man, don’t follow my example).” Pajarillo was hogtied and his face was wrapped in masking tape. He had a bullet hole in the left side of the chest and multiple knife wounds in the neck.

Reported : January 30, 2009
http://archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&story_id=186352

In Quezon City, a tricycle driver found the bodies of two men on Mindanao Avenue at 6:30 a.m. The heads and hands of the victims were wrapped in packing tape. Their bodies also bore puncture wounds, indicating that they were probably stabbed with an ice pick. Police said the two men could have been strangled to death because of the gash wounds and marks on their necks.

One of the victims was carrying a residence certificate with the name of Ruben Saavedra, 52, of Agpangan, Quezon province.The other man was described as between 25 and 30 years old and of medium build. Both were shirtless and clad only in denim pants.

In Manila, around 4:00am, another body of an unidentified man was stuffed into a garbage bag. Like the other bodies found, the man’s face was wrapped with packing tape and was hogtied with straw rope. A wire was looped tightly around his neck and bore several puncture wounds in the chest. The victim was said to be between 25 and 35 years old, 5’3” tall, slim, brown-skinned and having long hair, clad in a white t-shirt with a red lining worn over denim pants.

The garbage bag was found along Rizal Avenue between Yuseco and Camarines streets in Sta. Cruz, which is near Universal Funeral Parlor,

Reported : January 31, 2009
http://archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&story_id=186589

A dead body was found inside the Capitol Green Subdivision in Tandang Sora, Quezon City, at dawn. The victim’s face was covered with packaging tape similar to the two bodies found in Mindanao Avenue the other day. The victim was strangled with a rope, based on gash wounds on his neck, and had a lone gunshot wound on his face. The victim’s hands were handcuffed.

Quezon City Police Director Chief Supt. Magtanggol Gatdula said they are looking for “similarities” in the killings.

“We are scrutinizing the killer’s signature on the dead bodies to establish the suspects’ identities,” Gatdula said. They have not found any conclusive clue on the identity of the suspect or suspects. But he theorized the incidents could be the results of turf war between criminal groups.

“The way it is being carried out showed that it’s all borne out of anger and personal grudge,” Gatdula noted.

some questions:

If they were all done by the same unsub or group, why were there a differences in the way the men were killed?

Was the gun used to shoot Victim #1 the same as the one used on Victim #5?
If this is now a two man crew, is Unsub#1 the one who likes to use the knife/ice pink and Unsub #2 is the one who likes to use the gun?

Was the same type of packaging tape used?

Was the same type of straw wire used?

Why were the faces of the victims covered with tape? To torture them? To prevent them from seeing where they were being taken? To control them? Or maybe the unsub didn’t want to look them in the face while he murdered them?

Why was the last victim handcuffed and not tied up with the same straw wire?
Where did the unsub get the handcuffs? Was the victim from a law enforcement division? Could the unsub be part of some law enforcement division? Or maybe he’s always wanted to be a law enforcer but was denied or never given the chance?

Can the autopsy reveal how the victims died? What was the order of the wounds they received? Where they stabbed first and then shot or vice-versa?

Were all of these executed by a serial killer, a vigilante, or a death squad?

cause of death : unknown

2009-02-04T01:42:00.001+08:00

"The body of a 24-year-old janitor was found inside the stockroom of the EDSA-Guadalupe MRT station early Sunday, police said Sunday. Although no external injuries were found on the young man's body, [police were] awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of death."

READ THE FULL REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090202-186875/Body-found-on-MRT-station

Motorcycle Hitmen

2008-12-23T14:12:00.002+08:00

This past year, I've noticed increasing reports about motorcycle-riding gunmen. I was surprised to find out that... "Of the 424 crimes reported, 156 were robberies in the form of hold-ups and snatchings. A total 150 of these crimes involved shootings, including 50 murders." And this was from a report file in the middle of the year. FULL REPORT HERE.

Today, the Inquirer reported a very unusual motorcycle related crime: "Six men on board motorcycles gunned down a still unidentified man along Commonwealth Avenue, just outside the University of the Philippines Diliman campus in Quezon City on Sunday. Initial investigation showed that at around 4:33 p.m. Sunday, the victim was standing on a center island on Commonwealth Avenue, just in front of the UP Asian Institute of Tourism, when the six men drove by." FULL REPORT HERE.

I also remember similar shootings reported, wherein people were just shot on the street and they weren't robbed. I'm trying to track down those reports, but from what I recall, the victims were ordinary people with ordinary jobs.

They were not politicians or people who carried a lot of money. The motorcycle gunmen, just rode up next to them, shot them, and drove away.

How strange.

The Return of the Hypno Thief

2008-11-04T01:54:00.002+08:00

And we have another report of someone who supposedly got hypnotized and surrendered her money to a pair of con artists.

Student loses P10,000 to con artists by DJ Yap, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 11/02/2008

MANILA, Philippines--A pair of con artists sweet-talked a nursing student into parting with her tuition money Sunday morning while she was waiting for a passenger jeepney in Pasig City, the police said.

Joyce Ann Sanchez, 17, lost P10,000 in cash and two mobile phones to a man and a woman, in what the police described as a "budol budol" (hypnotism) scam, a report in the Pasig Police Station blotter said.

read the full report at:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20081102-169832/Student-loses-P10000-to-con-artists

Fellow wanna-be profiler Tania, finally sets-up a blog and weighs on this so-called criminals with hypnotic powers. Read her entry at:
http://taniaarpa.blogspot.com/2008/11/con.html

most violent 24-hour in QC

2008-10-31T22:00:00.000+08:00

8 persons killed, cop shot on ‘Good Friday’ in Quezon City
By Marlon Ramos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03/22/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- As Filipino Catholics marked the passion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday, eight persons, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed while a policeman was shot and wounded in six separate incidents during what police said could be the most violent 24-hour period in Quezon City.

READ THE FULL REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080322-125856/8-persons-killed-cop-shot-on-Good-Friday-in-Quezon-City

Psychic helping police solve murder

2008-10-29T22:00:00.000+08:00

Psychic helping police solve murder of lawyer, son
By Jocelyn Uy, Inquirer, December 14, 2006
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metroregions/view_article.php?article_id=38359

POLICE are seeking the help even of psychics as they continue to face a blank wall in the investigation of the murder of Assistant Solicitor General Nestor Ballocillo and his 23-year-old son Benedict.

“We are doing our best to solve the case. We have also sought the assistance of psychics in solving the mystery,” Southern Police District director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales told reporters Thursday.

The Ballocillos were on their way to Nestor’s office in Makati City last December 6 when two armed men shot them at close range.

The Parañaque police and the National Bureau of Investigation said earlier the killing could be work-related.

At a press conference Thursday, Rosales said a colleague from Camp Crame had introduced him to a psychic, whose name was withheld for security purposes.

The psychic volunteered to help solve the case, asking the police director for basic details.

“I was asked to give the name and birthdays of the victims,” Rosales said.

He accepted the offer after having seen on television how the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States was assisted by psychics and clairvoyants in crime detection and investigation, he added.

Foreign intelligence and police agencies have started to tap people with psychic capabilities for help in resolving puzzling crimes.

Rosales said the psychic had already provided names that could help identify the gunman and his location.

He said the information would be compared to results of the investigation conducted so far through conventional means.

“The psychic’s findings would just help provide the leads. We will still rely on the scientific findings. But it would be helpful if the psychic’s information corroborate our investigation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Parañaque City police chief Superintendent Ronald Estilles said they were working double time to capture the killers.

Estilles told the Inquirer Thursday that five witnesses were ready to identify the suspects.

Paranormal Expert Jaime Licauco writes about the Hypno Thief

2008-10-27T19:52:00.000+08:00

“The use of hypnosis to commit crimes is not really new in the Philippines. We've long heard many stories of store cashiers voluntarily handing over the cash in the register to a stranger, usually described as Indian-looking, after being hypnotized into doing so. When the stranger leaves the store with the cash, the cashier awakens from her trance wondering what had happened to her.”

You can read his two articles about it at:

1
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20081006-164928/Criminals-now-use-hypnosis-to-rob-people

2
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20081020-167502/Criminals-who-use-hypnosis

Evil spirits or evil spores?

2008-10-27T19:50:00.001+08:00

Last August, the Inquirer reported about 25 high school students in Mindoro were supposedly possessed by “evil spirits”.

Two days after the initial report, 5 more students were said to have been possessed.

It was written that: “The victims, mostly girls, pointed to evil spirits apparently angered by the cutting of a 30- to 40-year-old tree at the school backyard.”

The high school principal did point out that the tree was cut down three or four years ago.

It is interesting to note that the principal also said: “In past years, there were one or two cases of "seizure" reported but in the last week of July as many as 25 students were reported having "seizures," Tungol said.

So, is there a connection between the old tree that was cut down and the seizures/possession that the students experienced?

When did the first “possession” occur?
Did it happen soon after the tree was cut down?

Is it possible that the seizures are caused by something biological from the tree? Or maybe it has nothing to do with the tree and it was caused by something that the students have been drinking or eating or inhaling that is found in the surroundings of the school?

In a report uploaded on September 9, it mentioned that the Department of Education sent a team composed of a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a medical officer. The team conducted psychosocial intervention sessions or PSIs of faculty members and the supposedly possessed students on August 27, 2008.

The team reported that before the students experienced the so-called “initial attacks,” most of them had family-related problems, such as parents separating and deaths in the family.

Also mentioned:

“A mass was said by a Catholic priest at the request of terrified students and parents.
…local healers offered two black pigs in a bid to appease the angered spirits.”
It is always fascinating how, as much as we are a Catholic country, we still hold on to old beliefs.

You can read the full report at:
1
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080820-155831/Evil-spirits-possess-25-high-school-students-in-Mindoro

2
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080822-156235/Evil-spirits-attack-5-more-students-in-Calapan-City

3
http://blogs.inquirer.net/insidescience/2008/09/03/calapan-incident-not-spirit-possession-but-%E2%80%98mass-hysteria%E2%80%99-deped/#more-187

4
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2008/09/10/OPED20080910134758.html

The DIOS AMAHAN cult

2008-10-22T22:00:00.000+08:00

Kids rescued from ‘cult’
By Rene F. Alima, Cebu Daily News, 03/26/2008

CEBU CITY, Philippines - They holed up inside a mountain cottage for five days in Carmen town, starting Holy Thursday to wait for the “end of the world.”

Members of the Dios Amahan cult, who brought their children along to await the “final judgment,” had to be pulled out of the house by policemen on Tuesday, ending almost a day of negotiation.

At least 24 persons, 10 of them children, were rescued.

A worried father, accompanied by policemen, came to rescue his children, especially his one-year-old son, after his wife, the leader of the cult, refused to release them.

READ THE FULL REPORT AT:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view_article.php?article_id=126524

The Suicide Squad

2008-10-18T13:00:00.000+08:00

On April 25, 2008, the Inquirer posted a report about the suicide of an army colonel.

The body of a bemedalled colonel has been found in the Army headquarters with a gunshot wound in the head, and police investigators are talking suicide.

According to a report received by the Army at around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Col. Roberto Caldeo, 48, was found lifeless in his quarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres said.

A follow-up report revealed that Col. Caldeo was the third veteran of the 2000 Basilan clash to commit suicide.

Aside from Colonel Roberto Caldeo, a sergeant and a lieutenant of the elite unit allegedly also took their own lives years after the three-day assault on Puno (Mt.) Mohaji in Isabela City in late April 2000, according to a Scout Ranger junior officer who was part of the operation.

Caldeo commanded the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, which was tasked to assault Puno Mohaji to rescue dozens of teachers, students, and a Catholic priest held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf.

Another junior officer in the Rangers who was stationed in Basilan at the time, said the three soldiers could have been driven to suicide because of depression over the assault, in which six soldiers were killed and 50 wounded. More than 20 Abu Sayyaf fighters were also killed.

THE SUICIDE NOTE
Written on a legal sized bond paper were Caldeo's last words: “Patawarin niyo ako sa lahat ng pasakit at kahihiyan na dinulot ko sa inyo. Hirap na hirap na ang kalooban ko at ito na lang ang tanging paraan para matapos ang paghihirap ko. Mahal ko kayong lahat. Paalam. Robert. [Forgive me for all the pain and shame I may have caused you. The pain within me is unbearable and this is the only way I can end my suffering. I love you all. Farewell. Robert]. ”

Investigators explained that a suicide is usually caused by extreme loneliness anchored on unresolved personal problems.

THE BALLISTICS REPORT
A ballistics test showed the spent .45 caliber shell recovered from the scene was fired from the pistol of the same caliber found near Caldeo’s body.

Although tests showed both Caldeo's hands were found negative for gunpowder nitrates or residue, “I don't think it would affect our findings that it was a suicide,” Corpus added.

Curious.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORTS AT:

1
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080425-132587/Army-colonel-found-dead-with-gunshot-wound-in-head

2
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080425-132703/Comrades-Caldeo-3rd-vet-of-2000-Basilan-clash-in-suicide

Hypno Thief Strikes Again

2008-10-17T22:00:00.000+08:00

‘Hypnotized’ cook gives up P.2M to thief
By Tina Santos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 10/16/2008
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20081016-166614/Hypnotized-cook-gives-up-P2M-to-thief

MANILA, Philippines – A Chinese national lost over P200,000 in cash to a woman who might have hypnotized him into giving up his money.

Chen Xiao Xiong, a cook at My Home Daily Restaurant on Kalaw Street, Ermita, and resident of Nakpil Street, Malate, Wednesday went to the Manila Police District-General Assignment Section to report the incident.

Police are now looking for the suspect, described as “a Chinese-looking” woman, sporting short hair, 45-50 years old and 5’2”-5’3” tall.

The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. along Ongpin Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila. The victim said he was on his way to Arranque Market when he met the suspect who spoke to him in Mandarin.

The suspect offered to sell him a gold necklace, saying she needed the money for fare back to China. The victim claimed he felt weak after the suspect tapped him on the shoulder. Later, he felt he had to turn over P200,000 in cash and his wallet containing P35,000 to the suspect.

After taking the money, the suspect immediately left.

"The victim claimed he felt weak after the suspect tapped him on the shoulder."
Is it possible that the unsub drugged the victim and that's what made him obey her orders?

Strange Offerings

2008-10-16T21:38:00.003+08:00

"Fetus found at Manila Cathedral"

I first saw this report on Inquirer's Twitter page yesterday.
I read a more detailed report in the paper today (October 16)

A fetus was found at the door of the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila, Wednesday morning. The fetus, believed to be about 2 to 3 months old, had been placed in a pot of roses and was found by the cathedral’s janitor and security guard. The two said they were about to move the flowers to the altar when they noticed a foul smell coming from the pot. Msgr. Nestor Cerbo, the rector, said it was the first time that a fetus was found within the church premises. (Tina G. Santos)

LINK: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20081016-166615/MetroBriefs

Reading that report, reminded of a similar incident that was in the Inquirer last July 8.

Church offering included fetus By Kristine L. Alave
MANILA, Philippines – A priest in a church in Manila was shocked to find a fetus inside a jar hidden in a basket of fruits offered during the Sunday morning Mass.

Monsignor Gerry Santos, president of the Manila Archdiocesan Parochial School Association, said he was unaware that the basket brought to the altar contained a ghastly gift.

In an interview with Radio Veritas, Santos said the basket was offered during the 9 a.m. Sunday Mass at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo.

The priest said he was shocked to discover that the basket of fruit he brought home contained a small jar with a fetus inside.

“It looked like a four-month old fetus. It had hands and feet. There was a rosary inside the bottle, too,” he said.

The small jar, he said, was buried under various fruit offerings.

LINK: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080708-147072/Church-offering-included-fetus

Could these two incidents possibly be linked?

Strange how both fetus were hidden in offerings for the church.

The unsub left the fetus at the church because he/she felt guilty, because the unsub was hoping to save the soul of the unborn/aborted child?

On somewhat related news, this was reported early in the year:

6-month-old fetus found in Malacañang toilet (January 17)
MANILA, Philippines – A 6-month-old fetus was found yesterday in one of the toilets in the four-story National Executive Building (NEB) in Malacañang.

LINK: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080117-113125/6-month-old-fetus-found-in-Malacaang-toilet

And here's something that was reported four years ago:

FETUS FOUND INSIDE CUBAO CHURCH
http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/ht/ht004574.htm

CUBAO, QUEZON CITY, August 3, 2004 (STAR) By Katherine Adraneda - It was an quiet Monday morning at the parish of running priest Fr. Robert Reyes in Cubao, Quezon City until some 20 parishioners started gathering around a paper bag abandoned near the altar. Inside was a six-month-old male fetus, apparently left behind just a few minutes before the start of the Mass at the Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish.

FHM model killed in ’Gapo with 3 others

2008-10-14T13:00:00.000+08:00

FHM model killed in ’Gapo with 3 others
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03/14/2008
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=124609

Four persons, including a model of the men’s magazine FHM, were found dead early yesterday in an Olongapo City apartment that appeared to have been set on fire.

…each of the four victims was found with a bullet wound in the head, and two of them had burning pillows and paper also beside their heads. The latter two were identified as George Vitug Castor Jr., 27, and Von Mark Bandejas, 22.

Judging from the bullet casings recovered at the scene, the killers used 9mm and .45-cal. guns, said Senior Supt. Abelardo Villacorta, the Olongapo police chief.

Villacorta said the bodies of Castor and Bandejas, with hands bound, were found on the living room floor.

The bodies of Castor’s reported live-in partner, Scarlet Garcia, 23, and of Rachel Estacio, 20, were found in the bathroom.

Garcia was an FHM model popularly known as Scarlet Bouffard. She was one of the girls featured in its November 2007 issue.

The hair of Castor and Bandejas had been burned, Villacorta said.

He said a punctured canister of butane, a fuel for lighters, was also found on the floor of the apartment located on the second story of a three-story building.

According to witnesses, the fire started at 3:25 a.m. at Apartment No. 52-B and spread to two more units on the third floor.

Responding firemen and policemen arrived at the scene an hour later.

Witnesses said Castor, Garcia, Bandejas and Estacio had been renting the apartment for over a month.

They were seen and heard drinking and singing in their unit a few hours before the fire broke out.

Villacorta said investigators gathered from a witness that at about 2 a.m., a man was seen transferring items from a Toyota Vios to a blue car parked in front of the victims’ apartment.

The Vios, reportedly owned by Castor, has been taken to the police’s crime laboratory services, also in Olongapo. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon

Neighbors try to overcome trauma from murder of FHM model
By Robert Gonzaga, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 04/24/2008
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080424-132480/Neighbors-try-to-overcome-trauma-from-murder-of-FHM-model

OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines -- Forty days after the March 13 murder of FHM magazine model Scarlet Garcia and three others, a mass was held at the townhouse where their bodies were found, to "cast away bad spirits."

Afterwards, fireworks went off to drive away "bad spirits" that might haunt what became known as "Scarlet Garcia's townhouse" at Gordon Heights here, owner Luis Ramirez said.

The police arrested two suspects, Ferdinand Carderas and Jay-Ar Perez Mojica, on April 4, in the City of San Fernando where they were also linked to the break-in at the houses of Pampanga board member Raul Macalino and his neighbor and the rape of a 17-year-old girl and a 22-year-old woman in one of the houses.

Murder of FHM model, 3 friends ‘solved,’ says PNP
By Ansbert Joaquin, Tonette Orejas, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 04/14/2008
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=130332

Chief Superintendent Errol Pan announced the solution of the case after the Olongapo City police on Monday filed a case for murder with arson against two suspects, who were arrested in related incidents of robbery and rape in the City of San Fernando in Pampanga on April 4.

The two suspects were identified by the Pampanga police as Ferdinand Cadenas and JR Mojico. The Olongapo police, however, identified them as Ferdinand Carderas and Jay-Ar Perez Mojica.

They were implicated in the Olongapo murders after the results of ballistic tests done by the PNP crime laboratory in Camp Crame showed that a bullet and a cartridge used in Olongapo were fired from a gun recovered in the San Fernando cases, Superintendent Daisy Babor, chief of the PNP regional crime laboratory, told reporters on Monday.

The specimens which were subjected to cross-matching were a "9 mm slightly deformed jacketed fired bullet marked MAA-4-08" and a "9 X 29 mm fired cartridge case marked MAA-1-08 to MAA-5-08" found at the crime scene in Garcia's apartment and a "9mm Parabellum V. Bernadelli SRA model P018S pistol with serial number 303240 marked RCS4," said Chief Insp. Ronald Yusi, forensic firearms examiner.

Microscopic examination and comparison of the bullet and cartridge "revealed the same individual characteristics with the test bullets and cartridge cases fired from the 9mm Parabellum," said a part of the two-page report by Superintendent Reynaldo de Guzman, forensic firearms examiner and chief of the PNP national firearms identification division.

Senior Superintendent Liza Sabong, chief of the PNP directorial staff, noted De Guzman's report.

"The specimens really matched," Pan said.

Senior Superintendent Keith Singian, Pampanga police director, said the Parabellum gun was recovered from Cadenas during the arrest. Mojico, who initially identified himself as John Ariel Santos, held a .45 cal. gun.

2 severed heads, dead baby found in QC villages

2008-10-13T22:41:00.001+08:00

2 severed heads, dead baby found in QC villages
By Marlon Ramos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03/27/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- Two villages in Quezon City were jolted Thursday morning with the discovery of two human heads and a mutilated dead baby.

Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag, chief of Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU), said the two heads were found by scavengers floating along a creek in Sitio (sub-village) West Riverside, Barangay (village) San Antonio at around 9:30 a.m.

Quoting witnesses, Mabanag said the heads were already bloated and in the early stages of decomposition.

He said they believe the heads belonged to members of a drug syndicate who may have been killed by their gangmates.

At about the same time, the body of a baby boy was discovered at a tricycle terminal on H. Francisco Street corner Morato Road, Barangay Damayan.

Driver Hermilando Balalad Jr. said he found a plastic bag inside a tricycle as he was parking his vehicle at the terminal.

Curious about its contents, he said he opened the bag and was shocked to see the dead baby estimated to be about seven months old.

Balalad said the baby had a long open wound on his chest.

“It was likely that the baby boy’s chest was cut open. But we’re not sure if his internal organs were gone,” said village chairman Gualberto Casaje.

READ THE FULL REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=126747

Hypno Thief

2008-09-26T00:27:00.005+08:00

Got this link from Andre, which made me think of The Ringmaster, the Spider-Man villain who wore a top hat with a spiral disc that he used to hypnotize people. Also remember other super-villains like Mesmero and the Purple Man.

Then there was that man I met in KL and it's just all too embarrassing to tell how I got conned into giving him several hundred ringgit. (My mom thinks I was hypnotized. I think I was just too scared and too stupid to do anything else.)

Anyway, here's the report about...

Hypnotism used in thefts
By Alcuin Papa, Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080925-162884/Hypnotism-used-in-thefts

Criminals are now more creative in preying on their victims by employing new techniques which include, believe it or not, hypnotism, an anti-crime group has warned.

In an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Tessie Ang See of the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO), warned the public on Thursday, particularly Chinese Filipino families, to be more vigilant, aware and informed of the new modus operandi used by criminal groups.

“Criminals are now more creative in perpetrating their dastardly acts, more so since these are difficult times. Chinoy (Chinese Filipino) families are especially vulnerable,” she said.

One of the newer and more unusual methods is the use of hypnotism, according to Ang See.

She explained that they received stories from three victims allegedly hypnotized into giving up their cash and valuables. According to Ang See, three women speaking in Mandarin roam the streets of Binondo and swoop down on unsuspecting Chinese females walking alone.

“Through some form of hypnotic suggestion, the victims follow the commands of the women,” Ang See said.

One victim was hypnotized into going back to her residence in Quezon City to retrieve her cash and valuables and return to Binondo to turn them over to the hypnotizers. Another victim even went to her bank to open her safe deposit boxes.

Another victim, Ang See said, felt weak after the perpetrators tapped her on the shoulder. She went home, took her valuables from her cabinet and turned them over to the thieves. She then fell asleep and awoke refreshed and puzzled as to how she agreed to give the thieves her valuables.

Ang See said they requested the victims to provide a sketch of the perpetrators to warn other potential victims and help police arrest suspects.

The Firestarter

2008-09-05T14:06:00.004+08:00

Here’s another case that I noticed in the Inquirer last year, mainly because the circumstances reminded me of one of stories in TRESE.

The two women were found burned in two separate motels. They were found two days apart.

The first woman was around 60 to 65 years old. She was found in Sweet Hotel at the corner of Rizal Avenue and C.M. Recto Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila in Room 320. The staff noticed thick smoke coming out of the room around 2am, which prompted them to open the door. In the room police found pink shorts, a yellow shirt with the name “Norma” on it, and a pair of beige shoes which could’ve belonged to the victim.

The second woman was around 30 to 35 years old. She found in Happy Inn Motel on Palma and Paterno Streets, Quiapo in Room 207. She was found naked on the bed, wrapped in a blanket. The body was found at 5:25pm. In the room, police found denim jeans, a pink belt, a pink T-shirt, yellow blouse, shoulder bag and rubber shoes that could have belonged to the victim.

In the autopsy, smoke was found in the lungs of both victims, indicating that they were burned alive.

Chief Insp. Dominador Arevalo, head of the Manila Police District homicide division, said the inability to identify both victims and the suspect made further investigation difficult. In a report posted on Feburary 29, 2007, the bodies were brought to Popular Funeral Homes and were not yet claimed.

The homicide chief said the crimes could have been done by the same person who was described as around 30-35-years old, male, about 5’6” in height. He reportedly stayed overnight in the motels with the victims. The artist’s sketches of the man in both incidents were similar, Arevalo said. In the case of the second victim, the room was registered in the name of Marvin Cachola.

So, were both crimes committed by the same unsub?

In both crimes, the witnesses saw the victims enter the motel with the unsub, which meant the victims knew the unsub. They trusted him enough to go with him into the room.

Was the first crime his “dress rehearsal”? Maybe the unsub chose an older victim, which he could easily subdue and the second victim was he intended target.

No other incidents were reported after those two victims.

Although, it is interesting to note that in the past year, there have been a lot of fires throughout the city. Is it possible that those fires were started by the same unsub and that there were victims that weren’t discovered because the fire burned up the whole building?

Below are links to the reports:

1
Badly burned body of woman found in hotel room
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080223-120654/Badly-burned-body-of-woman-found-in-hotel-room
By Tina Santos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, First Posted 02/23/2008

2
Another woman burned in motel
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080224-120937/Another-woman-burned-in-motel
By Allison Lopez, Philippine Daily Inquirer, First Posted 02/24/2008

3
Woman in motel fire burned alive
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080225-120979/Woman-in-motel-fire-burned-alive
By Tina Santos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, First Posted 02/25/2008

4
Woman’s burned body found in motel
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080226-121192/Womans-burned-body-found-in-motel
By Tina Santos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, First Posted 02/26/2008

5
2 burned women found in motels remain unidentified
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080229-121874/2-burned-women-found-in-motels-remain-unidentified
By Allison Lopez, Philippine Daily Inquirer, First Posted 02/29/2008

armed with guns and magical amulets

2008-09-02T02:12:00.005+08:00

There are been several incidents in Philippine history when policemen or the military encountered people who armed themselves with so-called magical amulets.

So far, there have been no known reports of these people surviving when the law men opened fire.

Amulets clues to suspected robbers in Makati shootout
By DJ Yap, Philippine Daily Inquirer, First Posted 08/29/2008

The identities of the suspected robbers who engaged the police in a gunfight in the middle of a Makati street Thursday remained unknown but the police said Friday they had uncovered some clues about the group.

The clues included amulets they wore that were similar to those worn by the suspects who staged a P2.7 million heist along Gil Puyat Avenue in front of Caltex gas station in June, in which two of the suspects died, the police said.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080829-157614/Amulets-clues-to-suspected-robbers-in-Makati-shootout

The Garbage Collector

2008-08-30T00:36:00.002+08:00

Late last year, I noticed these reports in the METRO section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

I found the details of the murders / executions curious.

Maybe it was because I was watching CRIMINAL MINDS around that time that I started to attempt to profile the unsub (unknown subject).

If the murders were "gangland" or "vigilante" executions, I found it interesting that the unsub went through the lengths of putting the victims in garbage bags and them dumped them in places where they could easily be found.

If the unsub just wanted to send out a sign to other supposed gang members, then he could've just left the bodies out in the open. Why were they placed in garbage bags? Because he thinks he's doing the city a favor? He wants to show people that he's cleaning up the city? He feels he's enforcing the law?

Well, my speculation ends there.

The complete reports can be found by clicking the links below.

Another dead body dumped in Quezon City
By Jeannette Andrade, Inquirer, First Posted 10/09/2007
http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view_article.php?article_id=93457

MANILA, Philippines -- The body of another suspected victim of summary execution was discovered inside a black garbage bag before dawn Tuesday in Quezon City. The cadaver is the fifth, with a ligature mark around the neck and several stabwounds in the chest, to be found in a month in the commercial district of Cubao.

Investigators of the Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU) described the victim as between 25 and 30 years old, 5’7” tall, slim-built, fair-skinned, and clad in a blue t-shirt worn over denim short pants.

The body also bore several tattoos “Gerry Bonayog” on the right shoulder, a spider on the right wrist, “Michael Siopao” on the lower back portion of the body, and “Macky Ramirez” and “Sigue-Sigue Sputnik” on the upper back.

The victim was found inside a black garbage bag at around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday in front of house number 78 Cambridge Street, in the village of E. Rodriguez, in Cubao, by tricycle driver Leonardo Henson.

....

Records from the QCPD-CIDU revealed that from January to August this year, some thirty reports of “found dead bodies” were gathered, making up three to four bodies discovered monthly. In these incidents, neither the victims nor suspects are identified leaving the trail to solving the case cold.

Body in garbage bag dumped in QC parking lot
By Jeannette Andrade, Inquirer, First Posted 11/20/2007
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=102091

The body of another suspected victim of summary execution was found stuffed in a black garbage bag that was dumped in a parking lot early Tuesday morning in Cubao, Quezon City, police said.

The unidentified man, who police said was a member of the “Batang City Jail” gang based on a tattoo, bore a ligature mark around his neck and icepick stab wounds in the body like five previous slain gangmen who were similarly stuffed in garbage bags that were discovered in the same area.