Woman, 80, strangled in Valenzuela

MANILA, Philippines - An 80-year-old Chinese woman was strangled – purportedly by burglars – in her house in Barangay Canumay, Valenzuela City Sunday night.

Senior Police Officer 3 Jesus Sagisi said Rosita Ong’s body was discovered by her husband, Joseph, 80, at around 6:30 p.m. A length of garter was looped around her neck and her hands and legs were tied with nylon cord.

Joseph told police he was in Apalit, Pampanga for a business transaction but hurried home after his wife failed to answer several of his phone calls. When he arrived at their house, he found it was locked from the inside but Rosita was not answering him.

He destroyed one of the windows to get inside and discovered his wife’s body near their bathroom.

Joseph told the police that his laptop and his wife’s cell phone were missing.

“Since the couple are both 80 years old and were living alone, their house is a mess. We are still trying to determine if other things are missing,” Sagisi told The STAR yesterday.

Sagisi said there was no sign of forced entry but they discovered a hole in the concrete perimeter wall, which could have been by Rosita’s killers to enter the house.

Sagisi said they have also invited Joseph to the police station to get more information on the case.