Call Center supervisor's slay: Murder charge filed vs suspect

CEBU - The Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office said it has prima facie evidence to indict Jonelle Enfectana and her accomplices in court for the killing of call center employee Lynn Vi Ebarita last January 19.

PO2 Protacio Tago, of the Mandaue City Police Office Investigation and Detective Management Bureau yesterday, said that last Monday noon, assistant city prosecutor Bienvinido Mabanto recommended that a murder case be filed against Enfectana and her accomplices.

No recommendation for bail was set.

The result of Mabanto’s recommendation was then submitted to City Prosecutor Ferdinand Peque for review and approval.

From the city prosecutor’s office, the clerk of court last Monday then received the case information in the presence of Enfectana at around 4 pm. and judge Marilyn Yap of the RTC Branch 28, finally issued her commitment order to Mandaue City Jail.

Enfectana was detained at the jail around 6 pm. last Monday.

Ebarita was found dead last January 22 inside Nikkei Garden Hotel, four days after she was stabbed dead. Her body bore more than 24 stab wounds.

“The evidence at hand may be circumstantial in nature and unfortunately this investigator is of the finding and opinion that this web of circumstantial evidence if taken all together would result to undeniable conclusion that respondent Jonelle Enfectana is probably guilty for the crime of murder in conspiracy with other persons whose identities are still to be ascertain as of date,” Mabanto ruled.

Enfectana was arrested after a wallet owned by the victim was taken from the premises of the house where the suspect rented a room.

Police also said that they have yet to verify the identity of Enfectana’s accomplices who are believed to be in Borongan, Samar. 

Meanwhile, acting Mayor Michael Rama admired the Mandaue City police investigators for their quick solution to the killing of Ebarita.

Homicide investigators in Mandaue City headed by Insp. George Aniñon, who used to be a Cebu City policeman, also successfully solved the murder of 24-year-old Emilie Nuñeza just days after the latter was killed on January 23.

Rama challenged policemen in Cebu City to work hard to solve the controversial killings in the city, including the murder of assistant city prosecutor Patrick Osorio, who was shot and killed by still unidentified men while driving his vehicle in barangay Mambaling on his way home last January 6. 

But Acting Vice Mayor Hilario Davide III, head of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council, said we should give the Cebu City policemen a chance to try their best to solve the case.

“Paswerte-swerte ra man god ning pag-imbestigar. Kon walay makatug-an maglisud g’yod ang mga imbestigador pagsulbad sa mga krimen. Mahinungdanon g’yod ang abag sa community,” a Cebu City police investigator said. –Flor Z. Perolina and Rene U. Borromeo/BRP   (THE FREEMAN)