Hi, My Name Is...27

It's time for another monthly look at a motley crew of Filipinos and foreigners doing stuff most people would not be caught dead doing. In fact most of these people are dead. Say hello anyway!

Hi, my name is Marife Luchavez. My niece and I got into a heated argument when I tried to stop her from eating yellowfin tuna. Last time she ate it she ended up in the health center because she is allergic to the stuff. But she is so hardheaded she insisted anyway and in my rage I stabbed her. It was for her own good of course. Her mom tried to interfere and got hurt too which I did not intend. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1937897/cebu/local-news/aunt-stabs-niece-who-ignored-her-advice-not-to-eat-yellowfin-tuna

AN ARGUMENT between an aunt and her niece resulted in the latter’s stabbing in Sitio Kabatuan, Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City at 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15, 2022.

Maribago Barangay Councilor Arvin Abing said the aunt, identified as Marife Luchavez, allegedly lost her patience when her 17-year-old niece (name withheld for being a minor) did not heed her advice not to eat the yellowfin tuna (barilis), their viand for breakfast, as the girl was allergic to this.

Luchavez admitted to stabbing her niece at the height of their altercation.

Luchavez’s mother, who tried to pacify the two, was also hurt.

[She was told not to eat that (yellowfin tuna) because this was the reason she had to be rescued by a nurse at the health center. I told her to buy her own viand because eating that food is off limits to her.]

Councilor Abing, accompanied by the operatives from the Mobile Patrol Unit of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, brought Luchavez and her niece to the barangay hall to settle the matter.

Hi, my name is Raniel Reano. I had been missing for four days but it turns out I was not far from home. You see, I was down in hole. How I got there I am unable to say nor are the authorities able to figure out if it was an accident or a crime. At least they managed to fish out my bloated body without mangling it 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/17/teenager-found-dead-in-hole-in-qc/

A 16-year-old boy was found dead in a hole on a center island near the corner of EDSA and Bansalingin Street in Quezon City Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 17.

Members of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP-SRU) retrieved the body of Raniel Reano, a dweller on the said center island, who was reported missing for four days.

Staff Sgt. George Caculba of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) said they sought the help of BFP-SRU to recover the body of Reano after the boy’s parents informed the officials of Barangay Veterans Village that they discovered the victim in the hole at around 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

The search and rescue team started the retrieval operation at around 10:40 a.m. They recovered the victim’s body at around 1:41 p.m.

“(Our search and rescue had a hard time retrieving the victim because of the lack of oxygen, it stank inside because the dead is already bloated. At the same time, since the victim is bloated, the search and rescue unit was avoiding to mangle the body parts),” Caculba said.

Reano was brought to a funeral home on Congressional Ave. in Barangay Bahay Toro, Quezon City, police said.

Caculba said that they are still investigating if the victim was pushed into the hole.

Hi, my name is (still unidentified woman.) I was walking along when all of a sudden, BAM! I fell straight into an open manhole and died! This was in a construction zone which means, as usual, nothing was cordoned off. Perhaps my family will receive a nice blood money settlement from the city and the construction company. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/21/woman-falls-into-open-manhole-in-pangasinan-dies/

A woman died after she accidentally fell into the open manhole of a road under construction in this town Saturday, Aug. 20.

The Pangasinan Police Provincial Office described the woman as 60-years-old and above, at least 5’0” in height, and wearing black T-shirt and black pants.

A witness, Angelo Pungos, 36, of Barangay Maya, Infanta, told police that the woman was walking on the road shoulder when she suddenly fell into the open manhole.

Police and local rescuers took the victim to the hospital where she was declared dead by the attending physician.

Infanta lawmen are combing barangays here to identify the victim.

Hi, my name is Felixberto Briones. I was out at a job and suddenly I had to go. So I left the job site without telling anyone and made my way to some bushes where I could do my business. People often do their business in this area but unbeknownst to me the bushes were hiding an empty open well. Before I knew what happened I had slipped, fell down the hole, and died. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/455928/welder-who-fell-into-abandoned-well-in-san-fernando-town-found-dead

A 30-year-old welder fell into an abandoned well in Barangay Panadtaran in San Fernando town, south Cebu.

He was already dead when rescuers found him at about 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 30.

Police Corporal Mario Paul Pino, investigator of the San Fernando Police Station, ruled out a possible foul play in the death of Felixberto Briones, a native of Carcar City.

Pino said Briones’ family also refused to have his body undergo an autopsy saying that they were convince that he died in an accident.

Nobody knows exactly what time the accident happened, Pino said.

They learned during their investigation that Briones went missing on Saturday afternoon. His co-workers started to look for him at about 4 p.m.

(He did not inform anyone where he was going because we believe that he was supposed to be at work that time. We could only surmise that he took a break. And the reason why he reached the area was to answer the call of nature.)

Thinking that he may have responded the call of nature, Pino said, one of Briones’ co-workers started searching the bushes near the construction site where the abandoned well was located.

(The area is a go to place for people who wanted to either urinate or defecate. And because of the presence of fully grown bushes there, it was always possible for people, who are not familiar with the area, to fall into the well.)

According to Pino, the said co-worker found one of the slippers that Briones wore floating on the well, which raised suspicions that he may have fallen there.

Hi, my name is (unnamed seven year old girl.) A fourteen-year-old boy from my village kidnapped me and molested me leaving bruises all over my body. Then he stripped me and raped me. Finally he hog-tied me like a pig and stuffed me in an empty rice sack. My parents say they will seek justice and make sure my killer rots in prison forever rather than take blood money. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/841936/seven-year-old-girl-found-inside-sack-believed-raped/story/

A seven-year-old girl was found dead inside a sack at the back of a house in Pila, Laguna on Monday night.

According to Andrew Bernardo's report on GMA Regional TV "Balitang Southern Tagalog", the parents of the victim believe their daughter had been raped as she had no shirt and pants on when her body was found.

"It's naked. I dressed up. His father took me because, sir, I can't hold him... I'm still holding my youngest," the victim's mother Erna Amadeo said.

"It's really bad that they turned my daughter into a pig. There is no one to fight against," she added.

Edmundo, the father's victim, said their daughter may have been molested as there were bruises in different parts of her body.

"She was tied and when I opened the sack, she was inside the sack hermself. No more life. Then her eyes and mouth are full of earth. Then he had no shorts and no clothes. Too much was done to my daughter," he said.

The suspect is a 14-year-old teenager from their village.

Meanwhile, the grieving family sought justice.

"I just want whoever did that to be punished for life in prison. These kinds of people need to live," Edmundo said.

"They will pay for everything [what they did]. We will not stop... we will really fight for him until he rots [in jail]," Erna added.

The father also asked for financial help.

"We have nothing too. My salary for a week is almost enough. We don't have our own house yet. We are still renting. It's really difficult," he said.

Hi, my name is Jerome Estan. I was going home after celebrating my father's birthday when I suddenly realized I needed a shirt which was at a friends house. My mom told me to not worry about it and to not go because it was already 10 pm. But I insisted. For my trouble I ended up not only robbed but also stabbed in the chest and I died. Turns out you should always listen to your mother. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/457347/scholar-16-robbed-killed-in-cebu-city-on-his-fathers-birthday

What could have been a happy day for the Estan family, who had just celebrated their father’s birthday at the house of their father’s twin sibling in Minglanilla town, turned into a day of tragedy for them, instead.

This was after one of the members of the family, was robbed and killed on his way home from the birthday celebration on Saturday evening, August 6.

Jerome Estan, 16, a Grade 10 scholar, of Barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City died after he was robbed and then stabbed in the chest allegedly by a group of minors in Villa Manga in Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City at past 10 p.m. that night, said Police Senior Master Sergeant Geoffrey Gutual, investigator of the Inayawan Police Station.

Gutual said that three persons, two minors and an adult, had already went to the police station to deny any involvement in the crime.

He said that the three were detained as they were considered suspects and they were still verifying their claims denying any involvement in the killing.

He also said that two other minors, one of whom was believed to have been the one who stabbed the victim, had remained at large as of this posting.

Moralyn Estan, 54, the mother of the victim, recounted, during an interview with CDN Digital, why Jerome was in the area alone at that time.

Moralyn said that Jerome wanted to stop by on their way home to meet a co-scholar near a food park in Barangay Bulacao in Cebu City.

Jerome wanted to get his T-shirt, which was at with the co-scholar because he would need it for their scheduled trip on Sunday (August 7) to a beach in Tuburan town with their scholarship sponsor.

She said that she had second thoughts of letting Jerome go there because it was already past 10 p.m. but Jerome was adamant and she relented.

(He said that ma, I will go ahead of you. I will go to meet Justin. I told him that he should not go because it was already late night. But he said ma, I would get the T-shirt because I would bring it tomorrow on our trip.)

Hi, my name is Mark Weinand. In South Africa I boarded a plane with 21 kilograms of shabu hidden in my luggage. At a flyover in Doha, Qatar the authorities still had no idea I was carrying so much drugs. However someone had tipped off the Philippine authorities and they were monitoring me. When I finally arrived in Manila they subjected my luggage to K9 sniffing and x-ray inspection. Of course they found the goods and now I am stuck in a Philippine jail. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/08/21/2204022/south-african-caught-p144-million-shabu-naia

A South African man was arrested on Friday upon arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3) with over 21 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu valued at P144.3 million in his luggage, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported yesterday.

Mark Weinand, 60, traveled from South Africa and passed through Doha, Qatar before landing at NAIA-3, the BOC said.

Personnel from the BOC, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (IADITG) closely monitored Weinand’s arrival after receiving reports on the drugs he was carrying.

Weinand’s luggage was subjected to K9 sweeping and X-ray inspection.

The South African, who is in PDEA custody for further investigation, is facing charges of violating the Comprehensive Drug Act of 2002 and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

Hi, my name is Concordia Relleta. When I was young I was forced to drop out of school because my family was poor and I needed to work. I worked as a barangay sweeper saving up whatever cash I could. As I got older I never stopped dreaming about finishing my education. After much studying I was finally able to graduate from high school. Who knows but maybe I will get to go to college just like my granddaughter. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1650611/83-year-old-woman-fulfills-dream-of-finishing-high-school

She may be in her twilight years but 83-year-old Corcondia Relleta of Calbayog City in Samar province refused to remain idle.

Instead, she studied hard to complete basic education.

On Aug. 15, Relleta graduated from high school under the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education (DepEd).

According to her 21-year-old granddaughter Gorgie Relleta, her lola was all smiles during the graduation ceremony in her home city.

“She was so happy to finally wear a toga. She was beaming with pride,” she said.

Gorgie said her grandmother was not able to finish her studies due to poverty.

Concordia, however, now proved that age was never a hindrance in achieving a goal.

Gorgie said she cried when her grandmother was walking up the stage of the Calbayog City Sports Center to get her diploma, donning a toga.

She said her grandmother worked as a barangay sweeper and earned at least P1,500 a month, which she used for her medical needs.

Gorgie said her grandmother would still want to pursue a college degree if given the chance.

“But for us, it’s already an achievement for her to finish ALS at the age of 83,” the granddaughter said.

Hi, my name is Princess Dumantay. I was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by Gaspar Maneja Jr. It turns out that Gaspar was wanted by the PNP and had three outstanding warrant for rape and violations of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. That means if the PNP had done their job and arrested him I would still be alive. My blood is on their hands. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1649550/fwd-suspect-in-rape-slay-of-15-year-old-biker-arrested-in-camarines-sur

The suspect behind the rape and murder of a 15-year-old biker in Bulacan has been arrested, the police said Friday. 

The Bulacan Police Provincial Office confirmed that Gaspar Maneja Jr. alias Jose Francisco Santos was captured in Pamplona, Camarines Sur on Thursday afternoon. 

Police said Maneja has three outstanding warrants of arrest for rape and violations of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. 

Additional criminal complaints for rape with homicide, and for using  fictitious name and concealing true name have been lodged against the suspect before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Malolos, Bulacan. 

To recall, the body of 15-year-old Princess Dumantay – marked with bruises, cigarette burns and strangulation marks – was found by authorities on a grassy area in Bustos, Bulacan last Friday, August 12.

A forensic autopsy report likewise indicated that the victim was raped. 

Hi, my name is Roderick Cesora. I was driving an ambulance when all of a sudden a had a heart attack and died. My body bent over the steering wheel causing the vehicle to crash into a house and two motorcycles. Thankfully there were no patients on board and no one was hurt except myself.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1649947/ambulance-driver-dies-of-heart-attack-en-route-to-pick-up-patient-in-biliran-town

A driver has died after reportedly suffering a heart attack while driving an ambulance in Barangay Calumpang, Naval town in Biliran province.

Roderick Cesora, 55, was rushed to the Biliran Provincial Hospital on Thursday evening (August 18) but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician, according to Police Major Ryan Delima, chief of the Naval Police Station.

Corporal Randulf Tenebro, the case investigator, said Ariel Verunque, a passenger in the ambulance, disclosed that the driver suddenly became unconscious and bent on the steering wheel before hitting two parked motorcycles and a house.

Veranque was on board the ambulance to pick up a relative who was admitted to the Biliran Provincial Hospital.

No other person was hurt.