French national found dead inside his room

CEBU, Philippines - A 45-year-old French national was found dead Monday by the children of the caretaker of his rented apartment located along A. S. Fortuna Street in barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.

Jean Ludovic Estingoy, who was separated from his Filipino wife, was found dead by Melody Baluntang, 16, and his brother Rommel, 14, at past 5 p.m. last Monday.

SPO2 Marcos Noval of the Homicide Section said they knew about the French national’s death only after a staff from Rolling Hills informed them about his death.

Noval said that during investigation, the police found out that last Monday afternoon, the Baluntang siblings went to Estingoy’s room at the Bercede compound after they received a call from his girlfriend, Jade Marie Tiukinhoy, 28, of Banawa, Cebu City.

Tiukinhoy allegedly called Melody on her cellular phone and asked her to go to her boyfriend’s room and to tell him to answer her calls.

When the siblings went to his room, they did not open the door since they could see him through a window, and presumed he was sleeping.

When the siblings told Tiukinhoy that Estingoy was sleeping, Tiukinhoy told them to wake him up.

When they discovered that Estingoy was no longer breathing, they shouted for help.

Estingoy was taken to hospital where he was declared dead. 

SPO2 Noval said that they cannot yet comment whether there is a foul play over the victim’s death while awaiting for an autopsy result being conducted by the Scene of the Crime Operation (SOCO). —(FREEMAN)