After suspect’s death in Bohol: Karen slay case declared closed

CEBU, Philippines - The case of university student Karen Kaye Montebon is considered closed.

This was according to the police following Tuesday’s killing of Ruben “Gorio” Fernandez, the primary suspect in Montebon’s death.

Fernandez was gunned down in Getafe, Bohol shortly before policemen who pursued him could reach the island.

“We are 100 percent sure he perpetrated the crime,” Senior Supt. Marlon Tayaba of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) told reporters.

Chief Supt. Prudencio Tom Bañas, Police Regional Office-7 director, said Fernandez might have been killed by vigilantes.

“The people who have done it want swift justice… titingnan natin, paiimbistigahan natin,” Bañas said yesterday.

Montebon was found dead by his father inside her room at their house in Corinthian’s Subdivision in Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City when he reached home last September 15.

Investigation

Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, supervisor of the Special Investigation Task Group, said they considered Fernandez as main suspect following the statement of his live-in partner, Jenalyn Soon. 

Lawas said Soon suspected that Fernandez had something to do with the killing because she reportedly saw him bringing a camera, which turned out to be that of Montebon’s, after she heard that the girl was killed. 

Soon and Montebon’s mother reportedly know each other because Soon’s sister who is in the United States would send money through Montebon’s mother and Soon would pick the money up from her. 

At the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office yesterday, Montebon’s mother, Emelinda, broke down as she and husband James faced Soon.

“Gitabangan baya ta’ mo. Mao ni inyo ibalos (ibaws) nako? Wala ko’y gibuhat ninyo. Kuhaa nalang tanang kabtangan sa balay ayaw lang akong anak!” she said in between tears.

 The couple also positively identified the items recovered from Fernandez as belonging to their daughter, including a DSLR camera, a pink power bank, a portable Play Station, and accessories.

Lawas said Soon told investigators Fernandez went to Bohol on Wednesday, which prompted Senior Supt. Armando Radoc, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, to send his men there.

However, before the vessel could dock in Barangay Nasingin in Getafe, the policemen on board reportedly heard bursts of gunfire, which lasted for two minutes. They immediately went to the area after alighting the vessel and, there, saw Fernandez’s dead body on a bridge with a gunshot wound at the back of his head.

Meanwhile, Lawas said scientific evidence was used to calculate the time of Montebon’s death.

He said the food she ate remained undigested, which suggests that she was killed shortly after breakfast. Footage from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera revealed Fernandez driving a motorcycle together with Soon early morning last Tuesday but Fernandez came back alone. Witnesses told police the slipper that was left by the killer belonged to Fernandez.

Lawas said all available testimonies and corroborative evidence point to Fernandez as the killer.

Radoc, for his part, said he is convinced that Fernandez acted alone. 

“Wa ta’y nakitang accomplice or accessory to the crime (si Soon),” he said.

Testimony

In an interview, Soon said she regretted the day she and Fernandez went to Montebon’s house. She said she never expected her partner to kill the girl.

“Naguol ko kay giisip nako nga igsoon si Karen. Sayop pud nako nga gidala nako siya didto,” Soon said.

“Mangayo unta ko og pasaylo, wala koy intensiyon nga mao ni ang buhaton sa akong live-in partner,” she added.

She told reporters she went to Montebon’s house at past 7 a.m. last September 15 to check whether her sister sent money for their parents.

“Namasin lang mi didto kung naay gipadala akong igsoon. Five minutes ra mi sulod sa balay nya nilakaw na dayon mi,” she said.

They reportedly left the subdivision at around 7:11 a.m. but Fernandez dropped her off in Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Bankal their motorcycle was running out of gasoline and Fernandez had to refuel.

CCTV footage would show later that Fernandez went back to the subdivision at 7:45 a.m. and left at 8:15 a.m.

“Gikapoy ko og hinuwat niya kay dugay kaayo. Nilakaw ko padung Barangay Marigondon. Didto nami nagkita,” Soon said.

At this time, Soon said she noticed that Fernandez was carrying a sling bag and when she hugged him, she reportedly noticed something hard in the bag. Fernandez reportedly told her the things inside belonged to a Korean national.

“Nakabantay ko naay Ipad. Naka-feel ko ug cellphone. Wala niya gipakita nako. Gikan daw tong mga butang sa usa ka Koreano kay tihik daw,” she said.

She added, “Last nagkita mi kay katong pag Martes, wa na siya nagpakita nako balik… “Huwebes ko nakahibaw… Nakahuna-huna ko nga posibleng si Ruben kay dugay siya nakabalik,” she said.

Fernandez

Cyrus Eyas, barangay captain of San Vicente in Olango Island, said Fernandez had figured in theft and robbery incidents since his elementary days.

“Giila nako siyang anak kay paryente nako ang inahan. Nakahibaw nako nga manghilabot gyud siya pero ako gitan-aw basin maulian pero wa man gyud. Ni-grabe man. Dinagko iyahang hilabtan sa amoa,” he said.

The suspect was the youngest of seven and only studied until Grade 4 or Grade 5.

 When Fernandez was 14, Eyas took him in to help with household chores.

 However, no less than Eyas’ wife caught him red-handed trying to steal P60,000. By the time he was 18, Fernandez reportedly took the jewelry of Eyas’ sister worth P100,000.

 “Kawat, lungkab ug pangilad, mao ra gyud na iyang raket,” Eyas said.

Fernandez was just released from jail last year after he stole from a dive shop owned by a Japanese national.

Reward money

Radoc said he will not recommend that the P500,000 reward money be given to Soon even if her testimony helped the police.

He pointed out that Soon lied at one point during questioning. She said Fernandez did not go inside the victim’s house but she reportedly took her statement back and said he did so and even played with the family’s dog.

He said the money might as well be given to the police’s contact person in Barangay Nasingin in Bohol, although not the full amount.  — /JMO (FREEMAN)