Lapu-Lapu City police have identified the body that was found dumped in an abandoned well in Sitio Gisi in Barangay Agus on June 17, 2022. | CDRRMO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Policemen in Lapu-Lapu City are looking at personal grudge as the reason for the killing of a 47-year-old woman whose body was found dumped in an abandoned well in Barangay Agus.
The victim, Winnie Pepillero, was last seen alive at about 6 a.m. on Thursday, June 16.
Personnel of Lapu-Lapu City’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) retrieved Pepillero’s body from an abandoned well about four to five meters deep in Sitio Guisi in Barangay Agus Friday night, June 17.
Police Major Aibert Jay Samson, chief of the Marigondon Police Station, said they are now looking at the possibility that a workmate is behind Pepillero’s killing.
Samson begged off from naming their person of interest (PIO). But he said that the victim was said to have had an argument with their POI a week ago.
He said that their suspect works as a helper at the construction site located inside a subdivision in Barangay Agus where Pepillero also works as a painter.
Based on the outcome of their investigation, the suspect, who is a native of Mindanao is now hiding in one of the municipalities in Cebu.
Samson said they are also coordinating with their counterparts in Mindanao to help them locate the family of the suspect and seek their cooperation in his arrest.
Samson said that based on their conversation with their other coworkers, personal grudge caused by a work-related disagreement may have caused the commission of the gruesome crime.
“Sige ni nilang madunggan nga mag away ning duha. Unya tong nawala na ni ang biktima, naa silay gidudahan ani. Pagkagahapon nga nabal-an nila ng naay patay ngadto sa tabay and murag nakabantay ning POI nato, mao to nilayat sya sa pader ug ni-ikyas,” Samson said.
“Helper mani ang POI. Pagmamintura, naay pisik-pisik unya masuko atoang POI kay siya man ang manlimpyu, mao nay gihatag nga statement sa iyang mga kauban,” he added.
However, they are yet to determine the actual cause of Pepillero’s death and when and how the crime was committed.
Samson said they are yet to have the victim’s body subjected to an autopsy with the permission of her family.
He said they failed to locate visible wounds on the victim’s body probably because it was already bloated when found.
Based on their own estimates, Samson said, Pepillero may have already been dead for 24 hours. Coworkers last saw her at their worksite at about 6 a.m. on Thursday.
At about 11 a.m. on Friday, workers at their worksite started to smell a foul odor coming from an abandoned well located 40 to 50 meters away from their barracks.
When they checked the source of the foul odor, workers claimed to have seen a human leg. But they only called for police assistance at 4 p.m.
Pepillero’s body was finally retrieved at 8:15 p.m. with the help of CDRRMO personnel.
The victim was identified by her two children and her mother.
“Sa buhok ug sa lawas, positive sila nga ilaha to nga inahan,” Samson said.
According to her family, Pepillero would seldom go home to Barangay Buaya since she works as a stay-in painter.
Nagiel Bañacia, CDRRMO chief, said in a social media post that they had difficulty retrieving Pepillon’s body because of the well’s narrow passage. Also, the body was also decomposing.
“Nasuwayan gayud ang katakus sa Rope Rescue sa Confine Structure sa atong mga kauban,” he added.
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