Korean now “primary suspect”

CEBU, Philippines - The Korean suspected of killing a Filipina friend inside a hotel in Lapu-Lapu City last Saturday is now comatose and is still guarded by police at the hospital.

Lapu-lapu City Police Office director Police Sr./Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas said that the mother and the younger brother of the suspect arrived yesterday dawn from South Korea after the Philippine Embassy in Korea informed them of the incident last Sunday afternoon.

Lawas said that Hyun Chul Hwang’s immediate family arrived at his office at around 1pm yesterday and asked to be briefed about the incident.

They also asked Lawas’ permission for the transfer of the Korean national to Cebu Doctor’s Hospital due to the lack of facilities at the Mactan Doctor’s Hospital.

However, Lawas told them to coordinate with the attending physician over the matter but his men will continue to guard him at the hospital.

Lawas also told Hyun Chul Hwang’s mother that his son is now considered as the “primary suspect” as evidence would show that no other persons entered room 23 where he and his Filipina friend checked in.

The death certificate showed that the victim,Whendy Jane Noel, 21 of barangay Kinalumsan, Lapu-Lapu City, died of “asphyxia by strangulation.” However, Lawas said they have yet to wait for Noel’s autopsy results.

“Kinsa pa may laing nituok, nga wa may laing kasud sa lawak. (Who else could have strangled her when nobody else entered the room,)” Lawas said.

He also told them that an ongoing investigation is still being conducted and the police will soon file appropriate charges against Hwang.

There were contusions on the victim’s neck indicating she was choked by the suspect with his hands.

The victim’s left breast was bitten as there were marks made by upper and lower teeth, bruises were also found on the different parts of the victim’s body indicating she was beaten by the suspect.

“Sa pagkakaron wa may maka-storya kalabut sa hitabo busa huwaton pa dyud nato nga maka-storya ang suspek. (As of now, no one could give details regarding the incident so we have to wait until the suspect can talk),” Lawas added.

Lawas also said that his men will conduct further personality check against the Korean national and verify his status here in the country at the Bureau of Immigration.

Lawas said the Korean national, who resides at the Pacific Villa in Brgy. Marigondon, has long been staying in the country as the security guard of the pension house where they checked in spoke to him in Tagalog.

The suspect’s relatives were about to leave the office of Col. Lawas when they met GMA-7’s crew taking a video of them and they got irked.

The Korean man seized the video camera from the cameraman and a commotion occurred until the police intervened and brought them to the office to be settled.

The Koreans demanded that the file must be deleted, thus, the file was deleted from the camera and both parties settled the issue.

The victim’s wake is at the St. Peter Memorial Chapel in Cebu City.

Police are still waiting for the autopsy result to be released by the PNP Crime Laboratory in Cebu City.

Meanwhile, SPO2 Winston Ybañez of the Lapu-Lapu City Homicide Section, also said yesterday that the parents of Noel is really bent on filing a case against the Korean national.

Ybañez said the parents of the victim knew about their daughter’s friendship with the suspect because they knew that the suspect was often calling her.

He said that they will also visit the suspect’s house to get his passport so that they can pursue the investigation. —