A WOMAN was found dead last Monday morning in a secluded area in Barangay Guimbangcoan, about one kilometer from Sibonga town proper. The woman was later identified as Genevieve Jabello, 21, later at 2 a.m. yesterday by her father Joselito, who traveled from Consolacion town in northern Cebu to Sibonga Police Station to verify a Facebook post about a dead female person found in the area.
Genevieve hailed from Barangay Panas, Consolacion, but stayed at a boarding house in Barangay Canbanua, Argao, being a scholar taking up BS Animal Science at Cebu Technological University Argao campus. She was about to graduate March next year.
PO1 Jemechiel Gemang of Sibonga Police Station said they were still establishing the motive behind Genevieve’s death.
“Ang mga residente sa lugar nakadungog ra ug syagit sa usa ka babaye dayon duha ka sunod-sunod nga buto, mga alas otso kadto sa Dominggo sa gabii (The residents just heard a girl shouting, followed by two gun bursts around 8 p.m. last Sunday. But residents did not mind it for they thought somebody had lit fireworks),” said Gemang.
It was only around 7 a.m. last Monday when the victim was discovered by a certain Felix Villamen, who gathered malunggay leaves in the area.
Villamen immediately called up the police to report his discovery.
Gemang said there was no indication that the victim was molested, for her dress was never torn and still intact. Genevieve, who was lying face down on the ground, will still be subjected for an autopsy, according to the police.
Joselito said the last time he heard of his daughter was last Sunday morning when she asked for a cell phone load. In the afternoon of Sunday, he again called his daughter but was told by Genevieve not to disturb her because she was attending a Holy Mass in Argao, which she usually did.
At around 6:59 p.m. of Sunday, Genevieve was asked through text by her boardmate Melanie Laag about her whereabouts, but the victim only replied that she was eating barbecue. Around 7:02 p.m., her boyfriend asked what she was doing, and she replied that she was editing her thesis.
The victim’s father and her boardmates described Genevieve as a shy and silent person.
“Di man kuno ni laagan ang biktima. Dili gani kaayo maghalubilo og mga tawo gawas sa iyang mga close friends (The victim did not like going out.
She did not even like to mingle with other people except her close friends),” said Gemang.
When the body of Genevieve was already cordoned by the police, the boyfriend called up her cell phone but just kept on ringing.
According to Gemang, the area where Genevieve was found was dark with no streetlights, but some motorcycle-for-hire drivers in the area saw a fast black SUV heading towards the mountain.
Gemang said their fellow policeman, SPO1 Jaime Mendoza, asked Genevieve’s landlady and boardmates if they have a classmate who has an SUV vehicle, but they said there was none.
Joselito, who works as a farmer, pleaded to the authorities to better dig up the case.
Joselito has only two children. His eldest daughter is a special child, while Genevieve, being his last hope, was mysteriously murdered.