GOOD MEMORIES. Salma Theresa Gerona Quijano with her husband, former Iligan mayor Franklin Quijano, in this photo she posted as her Facebook profile photo on Jan. 5, 2011.
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By Frank Dosdos Jr.,
Correspondent

ILIGAN City – Dentures of a dead woman found at Mandulog River not so far from the house of former mayor Franklin Quijano here nearly matched those of the politician’s wife Salma Theresa.

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Quijano, now administrator of the Phividec Industrial Authority that runs an industrial estate in Misamis Oriental, announced on his Facebook page that the body fished out of the river was autopsied July 30, and the results showed that his wife’s dental records “almost perfecfly matched” that of the corpse.

Quijano’s Facebook post: “On June 27, 2019, a Thursday, my wife, Salma Theresa ‘Titatit’ Bersales Gerona-Quijano, suddenly went missing, leaving no clue nor trail.

It can be recalled, that on June 29, 2019 (Saturday), there was a report of a floating dead female human body at the Mandulog River, just a stone’s throw away from where we live.We the family, immediately went to the scene, as well, as the PNP-SOCO personnel.

When the body was retrieved, the impression we got was, it was not her, as it did not resemble her, even remotely. Moreso, not one of us ever remembered her having that kind ‘rash guard’ worn by the found body.

Our clueless and fruitless, but unrelenting search continued for almost a month.

Even the sketchiest tip, we took, grabbed, followed and investigated. We always ended up facing a blank wall.

The family, then, decided to take stock, to retrace our steps to square one.

Then, with the dead body found almost a month back, it was decided that the authorities be officially requested to take a second look.

Thus, on July 30, 2019, a government doctor / medico legal made an examination. We were unnerved to be informed that the dental records of Titatit almost perfectly matched that of the dead body.

Even as the dentures may have matched that of the dental record of Titatit, we still cling to that chance that it could not be her, we decided to have a DNA test of the body.

Today, July 31, would have been the 33rd day of our unrelenting, but futile search for my wife, our dear, Salma Theresa “Titatit” Bersales Gerona-Quijano.

We are shocked and shaken even as we await the result of the DNA exam.

To add to this mystery, even as life is a mystery, Uncle Lito Maristela Gerona has also gone to the great beyond last night.

Wake is at the Cosmopolitan Funeral Parlor, Iligan City.

“Please pray that God will shower us with so much strength to face this tragedy.”

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