An honest Manila police investigator turned over four diamond-studded rings, a gold necklace and P5,680 to a Chinese national who only discovered her sister’s remains yesterday, more than two months after the victim was found floating in Manila Bay.
Irlen Kho, 39, an accounting supervisor of an investment company, learned the fate of her sister Helen, 46, only yesterday after she went missing since Aug. 21.
Senior Police Officer 2 Paul Dennis Javier said Helen apparently committed suicide by drowning. Her body was fished out from the Manila Bay in Roxas Boulevard in the morning of Aug. 21 with her belongings intact.
Despite the absence of relatives to claim the body, Javier decided to keep Helen’s belongings inside a transparent plastic case for safekeeping.
Helen’s things are not the only ones in Javier’s safekeeping. His locker is full of belongings from unclaimed victims, including expensive cellular phones, which remain unclaimed for the past several years.
Chief Inspector Alejandro Yanquiling Jr., chief of the homicide section of the Manila Police District, had directed his men to save victims’ belongings for “transparency and to avoid later charges of theft.”
Irlen gingerly counted the still-soaked bills for record purposes before it was finally turned over to her. She also identified the expensive jewelry as her sister’s.
According to Irlen, her sister left their Binondo condo unit last Aug. 21 after they had a spat over family problems. She refused to elaborate.
Javier’s investigation showed that prior to the discovery of Helen’s body, several promenaders at the Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard saw Helen crying while sitting on the breakwater on the night of Aug. 20.
Irlen said she was so thankful to Javier and Yanquiling for finding her sister.
“These cops also displayed their honesty for safely keeping my sister’s belongings even for a long time,” she said.