26-Year-Old Pastor Turns Himself In Over Death of 20-Year-Old Nursing Student in Oriental Mindoro
A 26-year-old pastor surrendered to the police in Manila and allegedly admitted killing a third-year nursing student whose body was found in a vacant lot in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.
The suspect, identified by authorities only by the aliases “Pastor” and “Nhem,” is a resident of Barangay Milagrosa in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro. He turned himself in to Police Col. Gerry Laylo, chief of the Mimaropa police Regional Intelligence Division, at a church in Quiapo, Manila at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, Abante TNT reported.
The victim was identified as Altheia Maru Gabayno, 20, a third-year nursing student at St. Anthony College and a resident of Bongabong town. Her body was discovered at around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, in a dark, grassy area of Barangay Sapul with a wound on her chest.
According to PRO-Mimaropa director Brig. Gen. Christopher dela Cruz, the suspect gave up as pressure from the ongoing manhunt grew, People’s Taliba said. Another pastor from the church reportedly helped convince him to surrender peacefully.
In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News, the suspect claimed that he and the victim had been in a relationship for more than a month and that she kept pressuring him to acknowledge an alleged pregnancy, which he denied.
“Inamin ko po ang nagawa kong pagpaslang… Dahil na din po sa matagal niya pong pagba-blackmail sa akin,” he said. (I admit the killing I committed… It was also because of her blackmailing me for a long time.)
He claimed the victim pulled out a knife during an argument, which led to a struggle. He also denied raping her. The victim’s father, Roden Gabayno, said his daughter never mentioned being in a relationship with the suspect.
The suspect also apologized to the victim’s family. “Sana po ay, kung galit sila sa akin, sa akin na lang. Huwag na po nila idamay ang pamilya ko,” he said. (If they are angry with me, I hope it stays with me. Please don’t involve my family.)
Calapan police said they are still waiting for the autopsy results to determine whether the victim was pregnant. The local government of Bongabong earlier offered a P100,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest.
The suspect is now detained at the Calapan City Custodial Facility while police prepare a murder case against him.
