Simeon Gabutero’s mother says she was unaware of Reah Mae Tocmo’s murder
The mother of Simeon Gabutero Jr. has denied involvement in the murder of 19 year-old Reah Mae Tocmo. | CDND photo / Emmariel Ares
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The mother of Simeon Gabutero Jr. has denied any knowledge or involvement in the murder of Reah Mae Tocmo on July 16, 2023.
In an extra-judicial confession that she executed on Thursday, August 17, Myrna (not her real name) said she never saw Tocmo when she visited their boarding house in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City to meet with Gabutero.
READ: Police: Rhea Mae Tocmo’s killing now a ‘closed case’
Myrna said that she did not also see Tocmo’s body inside the room that they occupy.
While she admitted to having seen the box, which Gabutero used to hide Tocmo’s body, Myrna said that she was unaware of what was inside the said box.
Police Major Angelito Valleser, chief of Labangon Police Station, opted not to reveal the name of Gabutero’s mother and his 15-year-old brother, who reportedly helped him dispose the box that contained Tocmo’s body, for security reasons.
However, he agreed to share with CDN Digital the gist of the extra judicial confession that Myrna signed.
READ: Reah Mae Tocmo’s angry kin confront killer: Bayran ni nimo, malata ka sa prisohan!
Female guest
According to Valleser, Myrna mentioned in her confession that Gabutero asked her and other members of their family to leave their boarding house early morning of July 16 to give him privacy as he was expecting a female guest.
Myrna said that at around 5 a.m. on that day, she brought her 15-year-old son and Gabutero’s one-year-old son to a relative’s place.
An hour later, she returned to their boarding house to cook rice for their breakfast. She said that she knocked on the door of the room that they occupy at 6 a.m.
She saw that Gabutero was alone then and was sweating.
READ: Reah Mae Tocmo’s death was an accident: ‘Nagbasol ko’, says Simeon Gabutero Jr.
Myrna said that she again left their boarding house after breakfast for her laundry job. When she returned home at 7 p.m. of the same day, she saw a box inside their room.
She asked Gabutero what it was for and she was told that it contained some clothes.
At around 10 p.m., she said that Gabutero asked his younger brother to accompany him as he was set to make a delivery of the said box. But he did not say where.
Myrna’s claims were corroborated by her 15-year-old son in the extra-judicial confession that he also signed on August 16.
The boy said that Gabutero asked him to accompany him so that he could hold the box for him during their travel.
READ: Murder charge against Reah Mae Tocmo’s killer set to be filed after month-long probe
Investigating Tocmo’s death
Valleser admitted that investigating Tocmo’s death was not easy.
He said that they had a hard time in identifying the suspect because they did not have any evidence as to how the victim was killed.
Their investigation started to make progress when the test result on the blood that they recovered from Tocmo’s nails was released. The DNA test results led them to Gabutero, who was under police custody then, after he was arrested for the illegal possession of firearms.
Valleser said that their investigation received a boost after Gabutero decided to execute an extra-judicial confession where he admitted to choking Tocmo until she died.
“Sa kaso bitaw namo, naglisod mi og kuha og laing ebidensiya kay wala poy laing maka-point kung giunsa siya pagpatay,” Valleser said.
They decided to include Gabutero’s brother in the filing of a murder charge at the City Prosecutor’s Office after CCTV footage showed that he took part in throwing away the box that contained Tocmo’s body.
READ: Gabutero also accused of robbery in Toledo, Cebu
Thankful
Valleser said that since the murder charge against Gabutero and his brother was filed on Friday, he has been in touch with Tocmo’s family.
He said that the family members were grateful for their effort in ensuring the immediate resolution of her case.
“Sa tanan nga naningkamot aning kasoha, nagpasalamat sila,” he said.
Valleser said that he told Tocmo’s family that he will be sending updates, in case of the recovery of additional evidence that would help ensure Gabutero’s conviction.
“Amo lang pud iassure nila nga ma-update namo sila kanunay. Unya nga ang amoang ebidensya nga naa sa possession, dako gyud og porsyento nga maconvict ni ang nagpatay,” said Valleser.
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