The older sisters of Reah Mae Tocmo angrily confront Simeon Gabutero, the man who killed their youngest sister, at the Labangon Police Station detention cell on Tuesday, August 15,2023. | Emmariel Ares
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The family of 19-year-old Reah Mae Tocmo, who was found dead, tied and wrapped inside a cardboard box last month, expressed their determination to file a case against Simeon Gabutero Jr., the man, who confessed to the killing.
This is to make sure that 22-year-old Gabutero will pay for what he did and will be locked up in jail for a very long time.
““Bayaran ni nimo tanan! Bayran ni nimo! Malata ka sa prisohan! (You will pay for all of this! You will pay for this! You will rot in jail!),” said an angry Grace Tocmo Ala-ad, the victim’s sister, who shouted at Gabutero during their confrontation today, August 15, at the Labangon Police Station detention cell.
READ: TIMELINE: The tragic ending of Reah Mae Tocmo
Arrived in Cebu
The promise to pursue filing a murder case was made after the members of the victim’s family, who are from Davao del Norte, came to Cebu to confront the suspect.
The father and two sisters of Reah Mae arrived in Cebu today, and headed straight to the Labangon Police Station where Gabutero was detained.
Before the confrontation, Police Major Angelito Valleser, chief of the Labangon Police Station, and the investigator-in-charge of the Tocmo case, met with the family, showed them the pieces of evidence, and convinced the father, Romeo Tocmo, and the victim’s elder siblings — Rotche Tocmo Poblacion and Grace — that Gabutero was indeed the killer of Reah Mae.
When the grieving family members came face to face with the suspect, Gabutero, who was inside the detention cell, Reah Mae’s sisters and father exploded in anger as they confronted the man who brutally murdered their loved one.
READ: VIDEO: Reah Mae Tocmo’s family meets her killer
The suspect, Simeon Gabutero, mostly stayed quiet while being confronted by the family of the girl he killed. | Emmariel Ares
Confrontation
Reah Mae’s two older sisters, Rotche and Grace burst into tears as they looked into the eyes of the killer of their youngest sister and angrily asked him how he could do such a horrible thing to a defenseless woman.
“Wa kay katungod. Dili ka ang Ginoo para mopatay sa among manghod,” said Grace.
(You have no right. You are not God who can kill my younger sister.)
“Amahan ka. Wala nimo gihunahuna og imong anak, ing-anaon unsay bation nimo? Imong igsuon ing-anaon, unsay bation nimo?,” said Rotche as she shouted her question to Gabutero.
(You are a father. You did not think that what if this will be done to your child, what will you feel? Your sibling, if this will be done to him, what will you feel?)
READ: Reah Mae Tocmo’s family ‘unhappy’ with outcome of police investigation on her death
Romeo Tocmo, the victim’s father, said that he could not understand what he was feeling after seeing his daughter’s killer for the first time. | Emmariel Ares
READ: Reah Mae Tocmo’s death was an accident: ‘Nagbasol ko’, says Simeon Gabutero Jr.
Apology rejected: That cannot return our sister
With tears in their eyes, the sisters of the victim called Gabutero a “demon” and told him that no amount of apologies would bring back the life he took.
“Dili na mauli sa imong pagpangayog pasaylo. Dili na mauli. Wala nay kinabuhi among manghod, wala na Simeon. Kahibalo ka, dako kaayo kog pangandoy sa akong manghod. Dako kaayo kog pangandoy sa akong manghod pero ngano man gyud? Nganong nabuhat na nimo?,” asked Rotche.
(She will not be returned to us because of your asking for an apology. She will not return to us. My younger sister is now dead, she’s no more, Simeon. You know, I have big dreams for my younger sister. I have big dreams for my younger sister but why? Why did you do it?)
Gabutero cohort
They also told Gabutero to tell the truth and confess if somebody else helped him commit the crime against their sister.
“Kung kinsa pay kauban nimo nga nagbuhat ani, tug-an. Kinsay kauban nimo? Itug-an sa amoa,” Rotche said.
(Whoever your cohort is doing this is, tell us. Who is your cohort? Tell it to us.)
Police Major Angelito Valleser, chief of Labangon Police Station, showed to the family members of Reah Mae Tocmo the evidences that are in their possession. | Emmariel Ares
Father’s feelings of anger
Meanwhile, the victim’s father, Romeo Tocmo, said that he still could not understand how Gabutero could do such a heinous crime to his youngest daughter.
“Dili na mauli sa imong pagpangayog pasaylo. Dili na mauli. Wala nay kinabuhi among manghod, wala na Simeon. Kahibalo ka, dako kaayo kog pangandoy sa akong manghod. Dako kaayo kog pangandoy sa akong manghod pero ngano man gyud? Nganong nabuhat na nimo?,” asked Rotche.
“Wala ko kasabot [sa akong gibati]. Maayo unta ipagawas na para makita, parehas mi laki. Mayta ipagawas na para makita ba. Kay wa may hinungdan ing-ana nga laki ka magbuhat kag ing-ana,” he said
(I don’t understand [what I feel now]. It would be good if you let him out so that we can see what happens, we are both men. It would be better if he will be let out so that we can really see what happens. Because that kind of man has no value, who would do this kind of thing.)
“Mao na iya gibuhat sa akong anak nga kadakong laki niya. Mao na iyang gibuhat nga pagpatay sa akong anak,” the father of Reah Mae said.
(That is what he did to my child, when he is really a man. That is he did to kill my child.)
Rotche fainted
Due to the intense emotions, Rotche fainted and hyperventilated in the middle of the confrontation, but she was immediately assisted by personnel from the police station.
Police brought out from their evidence room the box of an electric fan that Reah Mae Tocmo was kept in after she was killed. | Emmariel Ares
READ: Reah Mae Tocmo’s killer admits he tried to frame-up ‘Insik’ to get revenge
In a previous Facebook post, the victim’s sister, Grace, spoke on behalf of their family that they were not satisfied with the police investigation of their sibling’s case.
Kin are convinced who killer is
But during their meeting with Police Major Valleser, the police chief, convinced Reah Mae’s father and the victim’s two sisters that it was Gabutero, who killed Reah Mae.
“Kato bitaw nga na-issue nga si Jewel Smith daw nagda og karton. Pag-erase sa doubt nga ang gigamit pagsulod sa patay ug katong gigamit nga paglabay didto sa patayng lawas, dili gyud kanang karton sa refrigerator kung dili karton sa electric fan.”
Valleser showed the relatives of the victim the CCTV footage that they recovered showing how Reah Mae arrived at Barangay Banawa on the day of the killing, and how the suspect and his younger brother disposed of the box where the body was placed.
He also showed them the clothes that Gabutero and his brother wore on the evening that they got rid of the body as well as the clothes that the suspect wore on the day he sold Reah Mae’s phone.
Cardboard box
To remove any doubt on the thoroughness of the investigation, Vallaser also showed them the exact cardboard box that the victim’s body was found in on July 17, 2023.
“Kato bitaw nga na-issue nga si Jewel Smith daw nagda og karton. Pag-erase sa doubt nga ang gigamit pagsulod sa patay ug katong gigamit nga paglabay didto sa patayng lawas, dili gyud kanang karton sa refrigerator kung dili karton sa electric fan,” he said.
(That issue with Jewel Smith where he brought along a carton or cardboard box. To erase any doubt that the box used and thrown there and the one used when the body was thrown, it was not a cardboard box of a refrigerator but that of cardboard box of an electric fan.)
DNA results
Valleser also privately showed the victim’s family the results of the DNA testing from the blood that was recovered from Reah Mae’s fingernails that were a match to Gabutero’s blood.
Furthermore, he also said that aside from their two witnesses, the victim’s female friend, and the individual, who bought Reah Mae’s phone from Gabutero, they also had another witness who claimed to have seen Gabutero with scratch marks on the day of the incident.
He said that the witness was set to arrive at the police station to give a statement on Tuesday, August 15, but the witness decided not to visit the police station when the witness learned that the media would be present there.
Witnesses, murder complaint
Along with Gabutero’s confession, Valleser said that both Gabutero’s mother and 15 year-old brother would be executing an extrajudicial confession to relay everything they know about what happened.
The suspect’s brother, who is a minor, previously admitted to being the backrider, who held the box in place while Gabutero drove his motorcycle to the area where the body was found on the next day.
Valleser said that they were purposely looking for a lawyer from the independent council, Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City, to have Gabutero’s confession notarized or certified as true, in order to avoid any conflicts off interest.
The victim’s father, Romeo, signed the affidavit of complaint for murder against Simeon Gabutero Jr. at the Labangon Police Station on Tuesday afternoon, August 15. | with Mary Godinez, CTU Intern