ILOILO – Exactly a month ago today, businesswoman Claire Diergos was found dead inside her sport utility vehicle in Santa Barbara town. The special investigation team (SIT) has yet to file charges, much less identify suspects for lack of credible witnesses.
Yesterday, two more cartographic sketches – a man and a woman – were being checked by the SIT in addition to the two (both men) they earlier revealed they have.
“They were considered persons of interest,” said Police Executive Master Sergeant Francisco Lindero, spokesperson of SIT. “We could not conclude their participation yet.”
The four were reportedly seen taking photos of Diergos’ car hours before she was found around 3 p.m. on Oct. 26 in Barangay Inangayan.
Lindero could not say when exactly the case would be filed.
The legal team was carefully studying the affidavits of people who volunteered information, said Lindero.
Their team also sought the help of two telecommunication companies – Smart and Globe – to trace the history of messages or calls in Diergos’ two cellular numbers.
Smart told the SIT there were no calls or messages in the number, while Globe has yet to release its findings.
Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero, director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), admitted to being challenged by the case of the 36-year-old Diergos.
“What we have right now are all circumstantial evidences. Our witnesses’ affidavits are not strong (to) identify the suspects. This case is very hard, but we will not stop,” Gorero said.
The police have the footages of a closed-circuit television from Deca Homes Subdivision in Barangay Balabag, Pavia town, Claire’s residence. A vehicle was spotted exiting the subdivision around 4:30 a.m. on Oct. 25.
Another CCTV footage was taken in Santa Barbara: Diergos’ SUV was passing the road, followed by a white vehicle.
But the footages were “too blurred”, making it hard to identify the drivers and the plate number, said Gorero.
The police believed Diergos knew her killers.
More than two persons were likely behind the crime – one driving Diergos’ SUV and the other the getaway vehicle.
A P500,000 bounty is being offered to credible witnesses – P300,000 from Diergos’ friends and business partners and P100,000 each from the municipal government of Pavia and the provincial government of Guimaras.
The SIT was entertaining all possible angles – from business rivalry to debts to love life.
But police believed robbery was the least likely motive as no valuables were missing from her house except for her mobile phone that the assailants mostly likely took with them.
The police recovered inside Diergos’ vehicle a comforter used in covering the cadaver and a carpet.
Based on the autopsy result, Diergos had multiple stab wounds: two on the neck, five on the left hand and two on the right hand, showing she resisted and fought back because of the defense wounds she sustained.
The Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) conducted a luminol acid test in the victim’s house.
Traces of blood were spotted in Diergos’ bedroom, and in the receiving room that appeared to have been scrubbed clean.
The SOCO also spotted blood on the floor, wall, bed, blanket of the three-year-old daughter, table, wall of the comfort room, Diergos’ dressing room, and the cover of the washing machine.
The luminol test was conducted by spraying luminol onto surfaces at crime scenes to detect invisible blood stains.
Luminol solution reacts with blood to produce light then the luminol solution contains both luminol (C8H7N3O2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The hydrogen peroxide reacts with the iron in blood to produce oxygen.
Following the result of the luminol test, the SIT took interest to Diergos newly hired helper, Rodilyn Sumbong of New Lucena town.
The police conducted a tactical interrogation against Sumbong who was believed to be involved in the crime as an accomplice.
But, Sumbong denied it saying that she was in deep sleep during that night and she has no idea what happened to her employer.
She claimed that when she woke-up on Monday, her employer was no longer in her bed leaving behind her daughter who was already sleeping in their receiving room.
She said she last saw Diergos alive late Sunday night (Oct. 24), when she fetched her at the transport terminal in Barangay Tagbak, Jaro, Iloilo City and they had dinner in Oton town before going home to Deca Homes around 8 p.m.
However, the task force probers believe Sumbong may be holding back crucial information.
WHO WAS DIERGOS?
Diergos was a native of Barangay Dagsaan, Buenavista, Guimaras. The single mother held multiple jobs to support her daughter. She was an insurance agent and a part-time medical representative. She also had a mango business.
“Halos tanan nga business sudlan nya para lang mabuhi,” said Samuel, Diergos father.
He described her as mabuot (kind).
She acquired her silver Mitsubishi Montero Sport with plate number WRQ-846 from former San Dionisio mayor Peter Paul Lopez worth P850,000.
When Diergos’ body was found, Lopez personally went to the crime scene to know if the victim was really Diergos and he admitted that the SUV was sold to the victim.
Diergos was laid to rest on Nov. 7 in Buenavista./PN
