Woman, 21, found dead; Korean companion critical

CEBU, Philippines - A 21-year-old woman was found dead while her male Korean national companion is in critical condition after he allegedly attempted to commit suicide in a hotel room in Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City.

The woman was identified as Wendy Jane Noel, of Barangay Kinalumsan.

The woman and Korean national, Hyun Chul Hwang, 29, were both naked when found inside one of the rooms of San Francisco Hotel at around 9 p.m. Saturday.

She was lying on the bed and had blood stains in her face and contusions in the different parts of her body that made the police believe she was mauled.

Hyun was beside Noel with his mouth foaming.  The police could not determine yet what Hyun drank.

As of last night, he was in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit of the Mactan Doctor’s Hospital in Barangay Basak.

 PO2 Luisito Ernie, homicide investigator, said Noel and Hyun checked in at the hotel around 10:00 a.m. Saturday and were supposed to check out at 1:00 p.m.

At around 6:00 p.m., Edgar Tantay, the hotel supervisor, checked on the guests but no one answered his knock.

“After a while, they decided to open the room because they were alarmed,” Ernie said in a phone interview.

Hotel personnel were able to open the room using a duplicate key.

Tantay immediately sought for police assistance upon seeing Noel and Hyun both unconscious.

“The woman had blood in the mouth.  There is a possibility that she was boxed and the Korean national attempted to commit suicide after,” Ernie told The FREEMAN.

Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, Lapu-Lapu City Police chief, said they are checking the status and background of Hyun with the Philippine Embassy.

Noel’s body was brought to Sure Life Funeral Homes in Humay-Humay, Barangay Gun-ob for autopsy.

Meanwhile, a farmer was found dead with stab wounds in his abdomen and lower portion of the body in Sitio Tapon Sapa, Barangay Uling, Naga City around 5 p.m. Saturday.

 Teofilo Degracia, 65, was dumped in a charcoal pit and his body was covered with dried leaves by a still unidentified assailant.

PO2 Darwin Melodia, of the Naga City Police Station, said that Degracia left their house last Friday and went to his farm but he failed to return home  in the afternoon.

This worried his wife who was prompted to check the farm with the help of barangay officials.

They searched the area and found Degracia in the pit.

His body was brought to St. Francis Funeral Homes. — /MBG (FREEMAN)