ILOILO – The circumstantial evidences that the special investigation team (SIT) has so far gathered on the killing of businesswoman Claire Diergos of Barangay Balabag, Pavia town are still not strong enough to withstand the scrutiny of the court.
“May missing links,” said Police Senior Master Sergeant Francisco Lindero, SIT spokesperson, following a case conference with the provincial prosecutor’s office yesterday.
“Importante ‘ni nga mapakita agud nga mapabaskog ang corroboration sang ebedensya,” Lindero said.
The SIT had hoped it could file the case this week. But three “resource persons” asked for more time to have their affidavits notarized, according to Lindero.
They have “pagpang-alang-alang,” he said.
“Ginpaathag sa ila ang implication sang notarized affidavits, (for example) makilala na sila sang publiko. Amo ‘na probably ang rason,” Lindero added.
Diergos’ family, who was present during the case presentation, feared a weak case would go down the drain.
“Suno sa abogado, vital ang klaro nga pag-connect sang mga circumstantial evidences agud nga maka-establisar ini sang mga impormasyon tuhoy sa identity, hitabo kag motibo sa krimen,” said Lindero.
The history of calls or messages in Diergos’ phone could be a big help to the investigation, too, said Lindero.
SIT previously sought the help of two telecommunications companies – Smart and Globe.
Smart told the SIT there were no calls or messages in Diergo’s number, while Globe has yet to release its findings.
Lindero did not disclose how many suspects and witnesses the SIT has.
The 36-year-old Diergos was found dead late in the afternoon of Oct. 26 in her sport utility vehicle abandoned in Barangay Inangayan, Santa Barbara town.
An autopsy showed she had multiple stab wounds: two on the neck, five on the left hand and two on the right hand. Her throat was slashed.
On Oct. 29, the police’s scene of the crime operatives (SOCO) conducted a luminol acid test in Diergo’s house.
Blood traces were spotted on the floor, wall, bed, blanket of her three-year-old daughter, table, wall of the comfort room, Diergos’ dressing room, and the cover of the washing machine.
A closed-circuit television footage showed Diergos’ Montero Sport was seen coming out of Deca Homes at 4:20 a.m. on Oct. 25.
One of the first persons the police invited for questioning was Diergos’ newly-hired house help Rodelyn Sumbong of New Lucena town.
She last saw Diergos alive late night of Oct. 24 (a Sunday), she told the police, and hadn’t seen her since waking up the following morning.
Sumbong was hired just that Sunday afternoon. She said Diergos 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.
If Sumbong were to be believed, she went to sleep soundly that Sunday night after Diergos told her to just leave the gate unlocked.
She denied having anything to do with the killing.
The police believed Diergos knew her killers, and they were “no ordinary people.”/PN
