‘Chop-chop’ woman died from head blow?

STA. BARBARA, Iloilo — The wife of an Army soldier, whose skeletal body parts were dug up in the backyard of her husband’s house here last Monday, could have died from severe head trauma as a result of a heavy blow, autopsy showed.

Chief Inspector Owen Lebaquin, who conducted the autopsy, said two points of trauma were found in the head of 19-year-old Sawiya Subajan Sanob, a Tausog Muslim of Tuburan, Basilan.

Sanob’s husband, Sgt. Agustin Sulleza, a member of the Army’s Special Forces and a Muslim convert, could not be located.

Sulleza’s mother Dionesia identified the body parts found in two shallow holes at the back of the family residence in Barangay Camambugan here, as belonging to Sanob.

Dionesia based her identification on a watch and ring found with the skeletal body parts, including her skull with hair still intact.

Lebaquin said the other missing body parts may show other injuries inflicted on Sanob.

He, however, said he found no indications of injuries from sharp objects on the recovered skeletal remains.

Chief Inspector Eugenio Espejo, this town’s police chief, said they are still gathering additional evidence before they file a case of parricide against Sulleza.

Espejo noted that even Sulleza’s mother has now been giving conflicting statements.

Sulleza’s brother Rafael admitted to probers that he transferred Sanob’s remains from one hole to the other four days before the police, with the help of residents, dug them up.

Espejo believes that other members of the Sulleza family might have known about the crime but refused to cooperate with the police.

Meanwhile, Espejo received a letter the other day from the Office of Muslim Affairs requesting for a copy of the police report and other pertinent documents related to Sanob’s killing. OMA provincial director Macausor Macalangan signed the letter.

Sulleza’s picture was published on the front page of The STAR on Feb. 21 last year. He was holding an M4A1 Carbine of the US Special Forces during Philippine-US joint training exercises in Tabiawan, Basilan.