Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Missing Tabuk City woman found dead in Cagayan

TABUK CITY, KALINGA – The body of a woman fished out of the Cagayan River in Santo Nino, Cagayan on April 30, 2009 has been identified as that of a mentally ill 37-year old woman who last left her residence at Magsaysay, this city, on April 6.

Teacher Amparo Dalingay of Casigayan, this city, said that relatives did not feel concerned when Lailanie Lucena, 36, did not come home after a couple of days as she sometimes disappeared for a few days then returned home.

But when Lucena did not come home after a week, relatives and neighbors searched the barangay and neighboring barangays to no avail.

However, one of the search groups got information that Lucena was seen boarding a jeep bound for Roxas, Isabela with a male companion at Bulanao, this city.

Hopes of finally finding the missing woman arose when on May 1, a news report over Bombo Radyo-Tuguegarao City announced that the body of a woman was found in a sack floating in the Cagayan River in Abaryongan Ruar, Santo Nino, Cagayan on April 30 and was buried by barangay official and the police on the same day.

Dalingay said that when Brenda Ravelo, the sister of the victim with whom she was staying, went to Santo Nino on May 7 with photos of Lucena, the local police declared they were 90 percent sure the body they buried was that of Lucena.

Dalingay also said that Ravelo recognized the body to be that of her sister from earrings and a hairclip worn by the victim.

Ravelo quoted the Santo Nino police as saying that according to the medico legal examination conducted, the victim was strangled to death.

Ravelo added that the Santo Nino police did not say whether Lucena was raped prior to being killed or not.

The body was exhumed and brought home to Tabuk City on May 11. **By Estanislao Albano Jr., ZZW