Suspect in Jollibee worker’s slay falls

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

POLICE arrested the primary suspect in the gruesome killing of an 18-year old fast food worker of a local Jollibee branch over the weekend.

The suspect identified as Jonrey Tordillo turned out to be a co-worker of the victim, Divine Grace Vergara of Barangay Balulang, this city. The two worked at the Divisoria branch of Jollibee.

Vergara’s remains were found at the coastal village of Sindangan in Talisayan town, Misamis Oriental in Dec. 27, 2014 nearly two weeks after she was reported missing by her mother Rosemarie. The victim was believed to have been raped before she was murdered.

Senior Insp. Cecilio Orcullo, Talisayan police chief, said police arrested Tordillo in San Jose, Del Monte in Bulacan on Saturday based on a warrant issued by a court.

“The case is now considered closed with Tordillo’s arrest,” Orcullo said.

He said the suspect would be brought back to Talisayan, and would be placed under detention any time this week.

Orcullo said it was Tordillo’s wife who unwittingly led authorities to her husband who allegedly went into hiding after Vergara’s murder.

“The wife went to Luzon to look for work. He was sighted there after several months,” he said.

He said when a court issued an arrest warrant against Tordillo, they quickly coordinated with the Bulacan police.

Orcullo said, “Nahibaw-an namo nga didto nanarbaho iyang asawa sa Bulacan kay milukat kini diri sa opisina og police clearance para manarbaho sa Luzon. Mao nga nagduda na kami nga sundon gyud kini siya sa iyang bana.”

Orcullo said the Del Monte City police and relatives of the Tordillo’s wife helped authorities.

Vergara’s body was already in a state of advanced decomposition when her mother went to Talisayan to see the remains of a woman reported to have been found in the bushes near a plantation there. She identified her daughter because of the belongings found near the body where the victim was dumped.

In an interview in December 2014, Chief Insp. Joseph Esber of Gingoog City’s Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) said the victim was stabbed at least thrice.

Esber said there were also signs that the victim fought back, and that she may have been raped.

Some 100 meters from the crime scene were a bag and personal belongings. After the belongings were confirmed to be that of Vergara’s, Talisayan Mayor Rommel Maslog ordered an exhumation. The mother identified her daughter because of her dyed hair.

Orcullo said the police initially had strong circumstantial evidence against Tordillo in 2014. Subsequently, security camera footages showed Tordillo and Vergara at a bank before they went to Talisayan.

“We recovered the ATM receipt,” Orcullo said.

He pointed out that Vergara was murdered in Barangay Sindangan, Talisayan where Tordillo hails, stressing out that Vergara had no other co-worker from that place aside from the suspect.

Orcullo said Vergara was brought by the suspect in Talisayan supposedly for a party the day she was killed.