Motels, boarding house  checked to help in  probe into teen’s death

CEBU, Philippines —  The police are checking all the Mandaue motels as well as the victim’s boarding house in their continued probe to determine the motive as well as to identify the perpetrators in the killing of a 19-year-old woman found stuffed inside a box.

The investigator of the Labangon Police Station 10 and their chief, Police Major Angelito Valleser, personally went to the boarding house of victim Rea Mae Tocmo to get information from the landlady and her board mates that can help in the investigation.

Tocmo was killed and stuffed inside a cardboard box that was thrown at the side of the road in Sitio Mohon 1, Barangay Tisa, Cebu City.

Cebu City Police Office Director Ireneo Dalogdog said that among the things they asked the victim's board mates and landlady was if she had a boyfriend who would visit where she lived.

The victim was seen in a CCTV walking just about 20 to 30 meters from her boarding house and was riding an orange motorcycle.

The police are backtracking the CCTV footages, especially in the motels in Mandaue City, because they believe that the blanket that was wrapped around the victim came from a motel.

So, they went to a motel to see if the blanket belonged to them, but it was not from there because there was no mark.

Dalogdog has ordered the investigators, as well as the Investigation and Detective Manage Unit (IDMB), to go to all the motels in Mandaue City to ask if they noticed anything strange about their client.

“Basin unya kung gikan didto sa ilahang hotel kay possible ang katong biktima gipatay to siya Sunday pa.  Di ba na-discover siya Monday unya alas 2 na sa hapon, pero alas 7 pa sa buntag sa Monday nakit-an nato siya nga karton possible basin gilabay to siya og kadlawon,”said Dalogdog.

The CCPO will also look into what exactly caused the death of the victim because, after examining the dead body, there was a lot of blood and there was a stab wound on the side of the victim's chest and the one used to bind Tocmo was a black rubber from motorcycle.

The CCPO has already requested the Regional Forensic Unit-7 to find out what chemical was used to pour the victim's body because the face and other parts of the victim's body were bruised.

“Pag ingon ana man gud mapansin nato naay kasuko ba basin unya og naa ni siya’y uyab although bag-o pa wala man ta kabalo or basin sa iyahang trabaho bisag kinsa lang kuan kabalo naka naay ubang customer or kliyente nga dili maayong mokuan og babae so mao toy atong tan-awon,” said Dalogdog.

The police are also trying to recover the victim's cell phone that might store critical information that can help in their investigation.