Israeli found dead in hotel

CEBU, Philippines - An Israeli national was found dead inside his room at a downtown hotel Tuesday night.

Police investigators believe that Max Efergan, 75, divorced, of Morocco, Israel, was robbed inside his hotel room because his laptop and iphone were missing. The victim, who is a regular guest of the Hallmark Hotel, was found dead by Rudolfo Pizon, 48, and Neniel Abajo, 21, room boy and security guard, respectively.

Pizon and Abajo went to check Efergan’s room at the 4th floor of the hotel at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday after another guest complained of the unpleasant odor coming from the room occupied by the victim.

They found the decomposing body of Efergan wrapped in a blanket under the bed. The police found a black mark on his forehead which appeared to be a deep wound or a contusion. The autopsy result, however, shows that the black marks are just desquamation.

Doctor Nestor Sator, PNP Crime Laboratory chief, said the autopsy he conducted shows that there were no penetrating injuries such as stabbed or gunshot wounds on the body, though he could not confirm yet the cause of his death.

“Gi-open nato iyang lawas and found out that naa siya’y heart problem, but di ta ka-rule out sa possibility na na-suffocate ni siya. I-undergo pa sad nato sa histopathological examination ang iyang tissue para ma-confirm if na-suffocate ba,” Sator told The FREEMAN.

Sator said the black marks on the cadaver are apparently not contusion or bruises but are desquamations because of the duration of his death. The victim, he said, has been dead already for more or less 72 hours when his body was discovered.

Sator said the tissue, along with the stomach content he extracted from the victim’s body, will be taken to the Camp Crame for examination.

In spite the autopsy result, Police Officer 2 Ruth Violango of the Cebu City Police Office Homicide Section said they are not discounting the robbery angle because the victim’s laptop computer and iphone were missing.

His traveling bag containing his clothes and another cellular phone were found, as well as his wallet with only assorted cards inside. He checked in at the hotel last January 2 and was supposed to go back to Israel on June 30.

According to the hotel staff, the victim was last seen entering his room at past 12 a.m. Monday after going outside at 9 p.m. together with his friend Katz Nathan, 63, also an Israeli. It was him who told the police about the missing gadgets owned by the victim.

Ali Bermoy, one of the room boys, said he last saw the victim alive in Saturday when he was tasked to clean his room. Rolando Roblon, a front desk officer, said the victim, who used to ask for ice, did not go down anymore to ask for it last Tuesday morning.

Violango said some Filipina are used to visit the victim at his room but they are no longer minding it because they have been familiar with their faces.

Violango said they are placing all the staff of the hotel under investigation, not discounting the possibility that it was an inside job. They are also coordinating with the Consul of Israel to verify the victim’s name. — (FREEMAN)