SU student stabbed dead inside her rented house

CEBU, Philippines - A 25-year-old business administration student of the Silliman University was murdered, while her sister survived the attack by at least two unidentified men who forcibly entered their rented house at Barangay Poblacion of Sibulan town, Negros Oriental, a few blocks away from the police station.

The victim, Myra Abrenica Gabato, died on the spot from multiple hack and stab wounds in different parts of her body, but her sister Melanie only sustained bruises after being hogtied and mouth covered.

Melanie however was able to free herself and call her family in Moalboal, Cebu to report the incident, after the assailants left the scene.

Initial investigations showed that, on or about 3 a.m., the attackers barged into the house by partially deforming the iron grills and, when inside, went upstairs where the sisters were sleeping.

According to the younger brother, Mark Neil, his sister Melanie called up at about 5:45 a.m. and, in a trembling voice, reported that her "Ate" Myra was stabbed dead. After a few minutes, she hang up.

Immediately, Mark Neil informed his father Juan and the rest of the family about the incident, and called up their relatives and a certain Joselito Umbos in Piapi, who in turn informed the Sibulan Police Station.

Melanie said she did not recognize the face of the assailants because the lights were off at the time. One of the attackers held her while the other one had her sister Myra. She only heard her sister asking the assailants "Unsay inyong tuyo, ako rang ihatag," but the two men never uttered anything.

SU general counsel Myles Bejar and students' Dean Edna Calingacion immediately rushed to the scene and took custody of Melanie, who survived the attack, and brought her to the SU Medical Center.

Bejar said Sibulan town Mayor Emmanuel Diputado had assured him, all processes will be observed and that evidences recovered will be preserved in seeking justice for the death of the SU student.

Senior Inspector Antonio Detuya, Sibulan Police chief, immediately dispatched his intelligence unit to track down the suspects but failed, except they found a white t-shirt with markings near the terminal of the multi-cabs in front of the Sibulan gymnasium.

The t-shirt, has blood stains, apparently being soaked and washed in the sea, but the murder weapon could not be found.  Several finger prints were found near the crime scene, while the room where the victim was lying on the floor was in complete disarray, especially the shelves where the victim's dresses and clothes were placed.

Scene of the Crime Operatives  personnel, headed by Chief Inspector Franco de Leon, said it was possible that the assailants were looking for something, either money or documents, because the two laptops were intact, except for a Galaxy Note cellphone.

House owner, Pamela Jansen, who married a German national, owner of Seaview in Cangmating Sibulan, disclosed that the sisters moved in on 26th of October this year, after the Buglasan Festival.

Jansen was however not sure if the CCTV cameras were still around, saying that she took out the data recorder after turning over the house to the sisters.

The victim's father, Juan, has confirmed that his daughter Myra and her fiancée, who is also a German national, rented the house at P35,000 per month for a three-year contract.

Myra was going to marry the German national supposedly after her graduation from her studies at SU, said Juan, adding that they were even planning to buy the property.

San Jose Rural Health Unit physician Vivian Marie Ceniza conducted the post-mortem examination, the results of which were still unavailable, as of press time. — Juancho R. Gallarde (FREEMAN)