4 GRUESOME DEATHS

WHO KILLED STEPHEN AND JAMIE? Stephen del Corro, 26, (left) and his girlfriend Jamie Mata, 16, (right) were found dead in Liloan, Cebu, on Tuesday morning. They were last seen on Monday in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City. Mata, who was shot in the head, was identified by her family because of the necklace she was wearing (shown in the photo) when she was found in Liloan.

METRO CEBU KILLINGS CONTINUE

Her parents painstakingly prepared her school uniform and waited for their daughter to come home last Monday.

But 16-year-old Jamie Mata never returned home.

The teenage girl’s lifeless body was found in a grassy lot in Barangay San Roque, Liloan town in northern Cebu on Tuesday morning, a day after she was last seen with her rumored boyfriend in
Cebu City.

Mata, a grade nine student of Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Memorial National High School in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, suffered two gunshot wounds on her head.

Police also discovered the body of her rumored boyfriend, Stephen del Corro, about a kilometer away from where Mata was found.

Earlier on Tuesday, another bullet-riddled body was also found in Mandaue City in a separate killing incident.

At past 6 p.m. on Wednesday, a decomposing body of a man was found in Barangay Mainit in the city of Naga, some 22 kilometers south of Cebu City. Investigators were yet to identity the victim as of 9 p.m., said Chief Insp. Roderick Gonzales, chief of the City of Naga Police Station.

“Residents of the place noticed a foul smell in the area, prompting them to verify what it was. They found out it was a dead person,” said Gonzales.

The four gruesome deaths came just days after police authorities asked the public for understanding and to give investigators time to solve the recent spate of killings in Cebu, including the broad daylight and brazen ambush of Art Stephen Bas, 23, a councilman of Barangay Lagtang, Talisay City, who was repeatedly shot by motorcycle-riding assailant while driving his vehicle that was caught in heavy traffic at the South Coastal Road in Barangay Cansojong of the city on July 19.

Del Corro, 26, and a call center agent in Cebu City, had a gunshot wound on his head like Mata. Both Del Corro and Mata were residents of Barangay Tisa, Cebu City.

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, deputy mayor for police matters, said that Del Corro and Mata were last seen having some drinks at a convenient store in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.

“Una nag-inom inom si Mata sa ilaha ra dapit dayon she received a text coming from Del Corro mao ni proceed sila sa Mabolo,” said Tumulak in an interview.
(Mata had a drinking session near her place then she received a text from Del Corro, and they both went to Mabolo.)

Motives

Supt. Randy Korret, chief of the Liloan Police Station, said they were looking into two possible motives behind the killing of the two victims.

“It could either be fraternity war or a case of love triangle,” said Korret in an interview.

Jenny Navaja, the stepfather of Mata, said his stepdaughter was reportedly a member of a fraternity since last year.

“Sulod-sulod na siya og frat frat. Gisigehan nana namo og badlong kay wala siyay padul-ngan ana (She joined a fraternity. We tried to stop her and kept on reminding her that it would lead her to no good),” said Navaja.

He also said that they warned Mata about her relationship with Del Corro, who they suspected was into illegal drug.

Before the remains of Mata and Del Corro were discovered, the police in Mandaue City were also alerted about a dead person found in Barangay Casili of the city.

The body was later identified to be that of Harry Uy Lloren, 43, a resident of Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.

Lloren was found lifeless and dumped beside the road of Sitio Capasanan, Barangay Casili at around 6 a.m. by a habal-habal driver who immediately reported it to the barangay hall of Casili, which, in turn, alerted the Mandaue City Police Office.

The victim sustained gunshot wounds on the head and different parts of his body.

But residents in the area were not sure if they heard gunfires.

Connected?

Korret said it was possible that the killings of Mata, Del Corro, and Lloren could be connected.

“There is a possibility but we do not have a lead yet,” said Korret.

Korret said no one saw the actual killing of Del Corro and Mata although nearby residences claimed that they heard bursts of gunfire sometime past 11 p.m. on Monday, July 23.

The residents also heard sounds of vehicle speeding away at about the same time.

The police were able to recover empty shells of a caliber .45 gun in the area where the body of Del Corro was found.

Navaja said they last saw Mata on Monday afternoon. She was supposed to attend her night classes in Don Sergio Osmeña Memorial National High School.

But the teen instead spent the time having a drinking session with friends.

“Amo nalang nahibaw-an karon nga gipatay siya. Gipakita ko sa iyahang patayng lawas (which was posted on) Facebook (We only learned today (Wednesday morning) that she was killed. Somebody showed me her dead body that was posted on Facebook),” said a teary-eyed Navaja.

The mothers of both Mata and Del Corro immediately went to the Maturan Memorial Homes in Liloan where they confirmed the death of the two victims.

Cebu Daily News tried to get a statement from the two grieving mothers but they refused.

Jayvee del Corro, the younger brother of Stephen, said they were still in shock and could not believe he had died.

“We saw him alive last Sunday. He never came back home,” said Jayvee.

The family of Mata appealed to authorities to solve the crime and arrest the perpetrators.

“Salbahis ang pagpatay sa among anak. Mangita g’yud mi og hustisya (They killed our daughter in a brutal manner. We want justice),” said Navaja. /WITH REPORTS FROM CORRESPONDENT PAUL LAURO