Killing of Cebu mall saleslady considered solved – police

Darren Somotsot Cui is named by the police as the primary suspect in the killing of mall saleslady Charina Baoy Relativo at her rented house in Sitio Laguna, Brgy. Bulacao, Cebu City, on August 2. | CDN Digital photo /  Emmariel Ares

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The killing of mall saleslady Charina Baoy Relativo is now considered as solved.

Police Colonel Antonietto Cañete said illegal possession of firearms, arson, and murder charges were already filed against Darren Somotsot Cui, the prime suspect in Relativo’s killing last August 5.

Cañete said the complaints may still be amended as soon as they secure the result of the forensic examination to determine if Relativo was raped.

READ: Sexual desire identified as motive behind saleslady’s death

Relativo’s body was already made to undergo rape test earlier, but Cañete ordered for a re-test after he learned that the test kit that was used in the first test was already expired.

If proven during the re-test that rape happened, the police will have to amend the charge from murder to rape with homicide.

And while the case is now considered as solved, Cañete said that they will continue to conduct case build up to determine if Cui had accomplices.

READ: Mother of slain Cebu sales lady wants to meet her killer to ask, ‘why did you do that?’

Extra-judicial confession

Relativo, 27, was found naked and dead in her rented house in Brgy. Bulacao last August 2.

Police investigation pointed at Cui, 25, as the person responsible for her death. Cui is a neighbor of the victim and one of the two men who found her body.

READ: Inayawan police continue to investigate killing of mall saleslady

He was arrested in Brgy. Sambag 2 last August 3 for the possession of loose firearms.  

During his interrogation, Cui admitted to killing Relativo while he was drunk.  He also issued an extra-judicial confession.

In his confession, Cui said that that Relativo was alone when he entered her rented house last August 2.  Her partner, Johnhjie Gaviola, was at work then.

READ: Cebu mall sales lady found dead in Bulacao home, rape suspected

He said that the door was unlocked since Reltivo was taking a bath when he entered. He dragged her out of the bathroom and tried to have sex with her but the saleslady refused and fought back.

During their struggle, they both slipped on the floor and Cui started to strangle Relativo to silence her.

Wanting to conceal his crime, Cui lighted the butane stove that he found at the rented room and tried to burn the saleslady.

Eyewitness

Cañete said that Cui also tried to frame his neighbor, Anthony Abalaya, who was with him when he entered Relativo’s rented house to check on her.  He reportedly asked Abalaya to enter the house first.

Gaviola has asked Cui to check on the saleslady after she failed to reply to his messages.

Cañete said that an eyewitness claimed to have seen Cui leave Relativo’s rented house shortly before her body was found.

He said that they also gathered multiple pieces of evidence that included items which they recovered from the crime scene which pointed at Cui as Relativo’s killer.