Just five days ago, Marie Alexi Bolongaita, or Maxi to her friends and family, was all smiles while turning over the Miss Press Freedom Week crown to this year’s winner.
It turned out to be her final walk.
Bolongaita, a radio disk jockey and last year’s Miss Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP)–Cebu who was also the first runner-up of the 2016 Miss Press Freedom Week, was found dead on Thursday with gunshot wounds to her chest inside her room in a newly completed duplex house where she lived alone in Sitio Nivel Hills, Barangay Busay, Cebu City.
The daughter of local broadcaster Alex Bolongaita, Maxi was brutally killed by a suspect who was found to have a string of criminal records.
Based on the initial investigation of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), a notorious robber who was also an alleged drug dealer identified as Reynante Mambiar barged into Maxi’s house predawn on Thursday and attacked and killed her.
CCPO operatives were also looking into the possibility that she was molested since she was in a state of undress when her body was found, according to Senior Supt. Joel Doria, CCPO chief.
Arrested
Accounts from investigators showed that at around 6:45 a.m., the Mabolo Police Station, which has jurisdiction over Barangay Busay, received a dead person alarm from a resident of Nivel Hills.
When the police operatives went to the area, they saw bloodstains at the pathway and on the wall of Maxi’s house.
However, the police were not able to enter the house since it was locked. The house was only opened when Alex, who lived in another part of the city, arrived in the area.
Maxi lived alone in the house that was given to her as a birthday gift by her mother who is based in the United States, according to friends of the family who declined to be named for lack of authority to speak to the media. Maxi turned 29 only last July.
CCPO Homicide section operatives were able to recover a .22 revolver with five empty shells, ammunition and a kitchen knife at the crime scene.
Maxi was found leaning against the wall with two gunshot wounds at her right chest, according to her father.
Three hours after Maxi’s body was found, CCPO was able to locate Mambiar, 36, lying in a hospital bed in a ward in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in uptown Cebu City.
Senior Supt. Joel Doria, CCPO chief, said they received a call that a man was treated at the hospital for lacerations, stab wound and a gunshot wound.
“Sabi ng suspect sa (Barangay) Tisa daw siya nabaril. But when we checked, walang reported shooting incident doon (The suspect said that he was shot in Tisa. But when we checked, there was no reported shooting incident there). Then Mambiar was positively identified by our witness,” Doria said.
Doria said they have a witness who saw Mambiar jumping off the wall of Maxi’s house.
The police said it was likely that Maxi fought back and even grappled for her assailant’s gun, which explained the stab and gunshot wounds sustained by Mambiar.
“Meron din nakitang kitchen knife. Tapos wala namang saksak yung biktima (A kitchen knife was found. But the victim did not have any stab wound),” Doria said.
Police probers found that after Maxi was killed, Mambiar went to his aunt who also lives in Barangay Busay and asked for her help. It was the aunt who accompanied Mambiar to the hospital, Doria said.
Doria said the aunt told police investigators that Mambiar was bleeding profusely and was carrying a bag when he went to her house at dawn.
The police later recovered a cellular phone owned by Maxi at the house of Mambiar’s aunt.
According to SPO2 Rommel Bancog, an investigator from the CCPO Homicide section, Mambiar regained consciousness yesterday afternoon and admitted that he killed the 29-year-old disc jockey, who was also working for a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm as a call center agent.
A father’s grief
Alex recalled that he was preparing to go work early on Thursday when he received a phone call from one of his godsons, who happened to be a neighbor of Maxi.
Alex, a broadcaster of dyRF, said he was informed by his godson that Maxi was robbed, but the latter did not give additional details.
“I was told by my godson, ‘Ayaw kalain.’ I was already suspecting something bad. But wala ko maalarma. Pag-abot nako didto (at the house of Maxi) daghan na kaayo og tawo pati police,” Alex said.
(I was told by my godson “Don’t be alarmed.” I was already suspecting something bad. But I was not yet alarmed. When I arrived at the house of Maxi, a lot of people were flocking at the area, including the police.)
Alex said he did not immediately go inside and instead asked what happened while at the same time trying to convince the police and the barangay officials that his daughter might still be alive. He then led them to his daughter’s house.
“Nangutana pa ko unsay situation. When we saw her naglingkod pa siya. Ni-ana ko, buhi pa na! But ni-ana ang police, ‘Patay na, sir,’” Alex said.
(I asked what the situation was. When we saw her, she was sitting. I told them she might still be alive, but I was told by the police that she is already dead.)
Although he is still grieving for his daughter, Alex said that he was still glad that the suspect was caught.
He said that they would not only want justice for Maxi but for her murderer to rot in jail.
“He (the suspect) is an animal. Any normal person cannot do that (what he did to my daughter). I want him to live. I want him to suffer. I don’t want him dead. I want him to live and feel the pain. That’s what I want,” Alex added.
Maxi’s remains were brought to the St. Peter Chapels along New Imus Street, Barangay Lorega, Cebu City.
Alex said that they haven’t decided yet when they would bury Maxi.
Case closed
Doria said that Mambiar is a notorious robber who has been in and out of jail.
Doria said that according to the family, Mambiar has been jailed for cases of theft.
Mambiar was arrested for carnapping last November 2014. He was also arrested for possession of illegal drugs in August this year.
Doria said that they are still digging up the background of Mambiar, but the case is already considered closed following the arrest of the suspect.
Shock beyond words
Meanwhile, KBP-Cebu chairman Fr. Roberto “Bobby” Ebisa, who is also the general manager of 89.1 Power FM and dyRF AM, expressed his deepest sympathy to the family of Alex “q-breaker” Bolongaita for the senseless death of his daughter Maxi.
“We are shocked beyond words. She was just our host for the opening of the KBP month 2017 few Sundays ago– a task she accomplished with flying colors…,” Ebisa said in a statement yesterday.
“KBP Cebu chapter assures Alex Bolongaita of our support and prayers even as we condemned in the strongest term possible this crime that shattered the dreams and aspirations of a young, God-fearing and promising broadcaster,” Ebisa said. /with report correspondent Benjie B. Talisic
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