IT magazine publisher stabbed to death in office

The husband of a magazine publisher has been held for questioning after she was found stabbed to death in her Makati office, police said yesterday.

Delia Gutierrez, president and chief executive officer of Media G8way Corp. (MGC), which publishes the country’s leading IT magazines, was found lying in a pool of blood at the company’s offices at the Eurovilla II Condominium building located on Rufino street, Legazpi Village in Barangay San Lorenzo.

Makati City Police Department-Criminal Investigation Division chief Senior Inspector Gary Reyes said she had been stabbed five times.

A knife believed to be the murder weapon was recovered at the scene. The woman’s husband has been detained for questioning, Reyes said. 

He had presented himself to the Makati City Police Department (MCPD) at noon yesterday.

Ibarra Gutierrez, 56, was accompanied by his counsel and a son, who is also a lawyer.

He was asked to issue a statement a day after he supposedly found his wife dead inside the comfort room of her office.

MCPD acting chief Superintendent Felipe Napoles said the husband is considered a suspect, but he is not being arrested yet since homicide investigators and Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) are still gathering evidence.

"We are still waiting for a report on the alleged murder weapon because the husband said he pulled the knife out when he saw his wife lying dead," he told The Star.

The her husband is the editor-in-chief of the publishing firm.

MGC publishes Computerworld, PC World, IT Resource, Stuff and Enterprise magazines while also producing and organizing Computerworld executive briefings, the PC World Annual Awards, the Philippine Web Awards and other IT-related events.

Reyes said the husband stands behind his story that he found his wife dead and believes that she had committed suicide.

The husband also claimed to have found the knife still embedded on her chest and pulled it out.

Reyes said crime scene investigators are checking the prints on the knife.

He admitted that for the time being, "the dots do not connect," but said his office would get a clearer picture after talking to witnesses, including the victim’s employees.

In his initial report submitted to Napoles last Wednesday night, PO2 Domindaor Robles, officer-on-case, said the body was discovered by the husband at around 2:30 p.m.

He allegedly told his secretary, identified as Ana May Aldana, that "his wife committed suicide inside the comfort room."

The victim was rushed to the Ospital ng Makati where she was pronounced dead upon arrival by attending physicians.

She died of five stab wounds in the chest and a laceration on the neck. A 13-inch kitchen knife was recovered from the crime scene.

Robles said the victim’s body was sent to the Philippine National Police crime laboratory for autopsy.