Man indicted for girlfriend's murder

By Ernie N. Olson Jr.

THE Baguio City Prosecutor's Office has indicted a 24-year-old NFA employee for allegedly stabbing to death his 24-year-old girlfriend two months ago.

Asst. Prosecutor Raymond Tabangin, in a resolution, said although evidence gathered against Constantino Osalla Jr, alias Jun, reportedly an employee of the National Food Authority based in Balabag, Diffun, Quirino province, "was merely circumstantial," he believes that Osalla "committed the gruesome murder because the respondent and the victim were the only occupants of the room where she was killed."

Earlier reports named the victim as Sharon Laroya Yadao, single, regional coordinator of the Baha'i Faith and also a member of the Baha'i Council of Western Luzon, who resided at Balangubong, Binalonan, Pangasinan.

Yadao was found dead at around 10a.m. last August 1 stuffed inside the closet of a room they rented overnight along 2nd Road, Quezon Hill.

Records showed that "prior to the discovery of Yadao's body, the victim and the respondent had checked in at around 4:00 p.m. of July 31, 2003, for what was supposed to be an overnight stay."

"At around 7 a.m. of August 1, the respondent told the owner of the transient house as she was passing by their room, that he and the victim would be extending their stay for another night (but) resisted the owner's suggestion that he and Yadao be relocated to a smaller room since the room they were in was intended for 10 persons. Three hours later, a housemaid had the shock of her life when she stumbled upon the lifeless body of the victim," it added.

Tabangin noted that based on evidence gathered, "the respondent was still in the room about three hours before the discovery of the victim's body and he even requested the building owner for an overnight extension and paid the fee. (But) instead of staying in for one more night as he had told the owner, the respondent instead surreptitiously slipped out of the house and has not been heard from ever since. As of this date, the respondent is still reportedly in hiding."

Medico-legal Officer Elizardo Daileg of the PNP Crime Laboratory, in a post-mortem examination, said Yadao sustained multiple injuries consisting of abrasions, contusions, puncture wounds all over her body, including a congested larynx.

"Despite the unusually numerous injuries inflicted on the victim, however, the cause of her death was attributed to asphyxia by strangulation. The time of her death was approximated at 2 a.m. of Aug. 1," the assistant prosecutor added.

Tabangin also stressed "although Osalla and Yadao were supposedly sweethearts, the victim allegedly wanted to end her relationship with him to which he strongly objected. This is affirmed by the victim's friend and roommate in her sworn statement."

He added that in attacking the victim who was evidently unarmed, Osalla allegedly used an improvised sharp and pointed aluminum weapon, which was recovered at the crime scene and which he used in inflicting two stab wounds on her upper back, one stab wound on her chest and a fourth on her neck which severed her jugular vein, before strangling her. "The location of these injuries suggest an attack from behind."

The case was raffled off to the city's Regional Trial Court Branch 6 presided over by Judge Ruben Ayson, who already issued a warrant for Osalla's arrest. He is now the subject of a nationwide manhunt by the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation for the non-bailable offense.

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