Consul’s nephew killed by ex-lover

STA. ROSA CITY, Laguna, Philippines – A nephew of the country’s consul general to Hong Kong was stabbed dead, allegedly by his former lover, in this city on Saturday.

Medical student Paulo Miguel Catalla, 27, was found by his friend Michelle Vanness Albano, 34, in his apartment in Labrado Subdivision in Barangay Sinalhan at around 2:30 p.m.

City police chief Superintendent Reynaldo Maclang said Catalla was a nephew of Consul General Bernardita Catalla.

The victim was naked and had 10 stab wounds in the body when he was found in his room. His mobile phone, bag, cash money and other personnel belongings were missing.

Maclang said Catalla and the suspect, identified as Jun Francis Bartolazo, 19, broke up two months ago. They reportedly met again on Friday.

Bartolazo, a student and working part time as artist or model, was arrested in a follow-up operation at his home in Barangay Tagapo, also in this city, on Saturday.

Bartolazo was reportedly preparing to leave when police officers arrived at around 5:30 p.m. to arrest him.

He denied killing Catalla, but he admitted he was the man caught on surveillance footage arriving with the victim at the apartment on Friday night.

Police said charges of homicide with robbery would be filed against the suspect today with the city prosecutor’s office.

Footage taken by closed-circuit television cameras installed at Catalla’s apartment showed him leaving in his car at around 9 p.m. last Friday.

He returned two hours later with Bartolazo in tow.

The suspect was seen carrying a black bag when he left at dawn.

Albano told probers that she had been calling the victim for the past two days. She decided to go to his apartment at around 1:30 p.m. to check on him.

She said she saw bloodstains on the floor as soon as she opened the door, prompting her to call for help.