Talisay businesswoman’s murder considered closed
Mastermind surrenders to police three days after committing crime
THE murder of a 62-year-old businesswoman whose body was found on Saturday stuffed inside a refrigerator in an abandoned warehouse was considered closed by the police with yesterday’s surrender of the third suspect who was the alleged mastermind.
Johny Duerme, one of three brothers tagged in the killing of Victoria Po Loa, gave himself up to Badian Police operatives, three days after the alleged murder.
His brother, Jay-r was arrested in Badian town, Cebu on November 4 after a hot pursuit conducted by the Talisay City, Badian and Moalboal police stations and the Provincial Mobile Force Company.
Another brother, Jeffrey, surrendered to the Talisay Police Station on November 5 and admitted that Johny masterminded the killing of Loa.
The three brothers, according to Police Inspector Elmond Mondaya, Acting Chief of the Badian Police Station, all worked in the victim’s family business based in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City.
Johny worked with the Po family for the last 15 years as a mixer for the family’s liquor company while Jay-r and Jeffrey were employed for 11 and 8 years, respectively.
“The three brothers killed Po after she refused to give the password of the vault to them. The vault contained money,” said Mondaya.
Mondaya added that according to the brothers, they stuffed the victim’s body inside the refrigerator to hide any evidence of the crime. They then agreed to go into hiding.
Supt. Marlu Conag, chief of the Talisay City Police Station, said they felt pressured to find the suspects since they started with absolutely no clues as to how she died.
Mondaya said that the coordination between the Badian and Talisay police stations, as well as the cooperation of the Po family helped solve the crime.
He added that the Duerme family also cooperated including Jay-r and Jeffrey who convinced their brother to surrender to the police.
Loa’s body was found by the Talisay Police in a refrigerator in an abandoned warehouse owned by the victim after her nephews and nieces noticed a foul smell in the property.
Conag earlier said that when they found the victim’s body, an empty vault was found near the body which appeared to have been forced open.
Murder charges will be filed against the brothers.
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