Houseboy owns up to killing, robbing widow

A man employed by a widowed millionaire has confessed to killing her Wednesday morning and robbing her of P1.5 million, which he surrendered to Manila police officers yesterday.

Investigators earlier suspected Romeo Ababon, 33, a houseboy of 55-year-old Dorotea Tanongon, as the culprit in the crime following the recovery of his bloodstained denim short pants in her bathroom.

Tanongon’s bloody body was discovered by her son on her bed at her condominium unit in Casa de Aviles along San Miguel street in Manila Wednesday morning. She sustained three stab wounds in the neck and her hand was nearly severed, indicating she fought up a fight. 

Ababon, who had been working for Tanongon for almost 25 years, initially denied killing her. However, Ababon broke down under interrogation. He led police to his room, where P300,000 had been hidden in a bedsheet.

Chief Inspector Dominador Arevalo Jr. who heads the homicide section of the Manila Police District, formed a team of operatives to recover the remaining money at the suspect’s house in Tanay, Rizal. The lawmen found a black paper bag containing P1.15 million in P1,000 bills.    

Senior Police Officer 3 Steve Casimiro said the victim kept large amounts of money at home for her dollar exchange business. The victim also owned several tracts of farmland, rows of apartments and two barges.

Charges of robbery with homicide are now being prepared against Ababon.

Arevalo commended his men for the quick solution of the crime and for returning the complete amount of money to Tanongon’s heir. – Nestor Etolle