81-year-old doctor strangled, smothered

MANILA, Philippines - An 81-year-old woman doctor was found strangled and smothered in her home in Barangay Talayan, Quezon City Wednesday night.

Police said Lourdes Pascual, who was single, apparently lived alone.

Police officers and barangay officials found the victim’s body lying on a chaise lounge in her bedroom, her hands bound with electrical cord. Her neck bore ligature marks and she may have been suffocated with a pillow, which covered her face when police found her body.

Investigators said there were items missing from Pascual’s house but their value has yet to be determined.

A relative of Pascual, Michael Concha, wondered why Pascual was not answering his phone calls. Concha, who was out of town, asked his friend, Jessie Ramos, to check on the doctor.

At around 2 p.m. Wednesday, Ramos went to Pascual’s house but no one answered. He then called the doctor’s personal secretary, Erlin Clar-Jesus, for help.

The two went and knocked on the door without getting any response. They reported it to the authorities.

At around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, police and barangay officials used a ladder to scale the gate, and were surprised to see Pascual dead in her bedroom.