By Martin Sadongdong
Police have launched a manhunt operation against a man tagged in the death of a female Grab driver, whose body was found under the kitchen sink of a condominium unit in Cainta, Rizal.
A passenger opens the GRAB Philippines mobile application to book a Grab car unit in Manila. (CAMILLE ANTE / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
A report reaching the office of P/Brig. Gen. Edward Carranza, Calabarzon Police Regional Office (PRO-4A) director, identified the victim as Maria Cristina Palanca, 33, of Barangay San Roque, Antipolo City.
Meanwhile, police were hot on the trail against the primary suspect identified as Paolo Largado, legal age, a tenant of a condominium building in Barangay San Andres, Cainta.
Initial investigation disclosed that authorities discovered the lifeless and bloodied body of Palanca around 4:15 p.m. Sunday, May 26, when tenants of the condominium noticed a foul odor emanating from the unit.
Investigators noted that Palanca's head was wrapped with plastic while his body was already in an early state of decomposition.
Palanca was identified by her sister, Shirley, who first reported that the victim went missing almost a week ago.
According to Shirley, the victim left their house on Thursday, May 23, after she had received a booking from a Grab passenger. The last known trip of Palanca was from Antipolo City to a mall in Mandaluyong City.
A day after, Palanca had failed to return home prompting Shirley to seek the authorities' help and file a missing person report to the police.
Police disclosed that after Palanca accepted her last booking ride, she proceeded to the condo unit of Largado in Cainta and never went home since then.
However, the relationship of the victim to the suspect was not clear.
A closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed Palanca stepping out of her black Toyota Avanza (DAE 3053) and entering the condominium building, police noted.
A separate CCTV footage caught Largado when he went out of the condominium building and drove Palanca's vehicle.
According to the police, the victim's vehicle was found in Lucena, Quezon.
P/Lt. Col. Alvin Consolacion, chief of Cainta police, said the suspect pawned the vehicle to a friend.
Meanwhile, Palanca's body was brought to Heaven's Gate Memorial Chapel in Cogeo, Antipolo City for autopsy.
The police have launched a follow-up investigation to determine the cause of Palanca's death and the motive behind the killing.
A passenger opens the GRAB Philippines mobile application to book a Grab car unit in Manila. (CAMILLE ANTE / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
A report reaching the office of P/Brig. Gen. Edward Carranza, Calabarzon Police Regional Office (PRO-4A) director, identified the victim as Maria Cristina Palanca, 33, of Barangay San Roque, Antipolo City.
Meanwhile, police were hot on the trail against the primary suspect identified as Paolo Largado, legal age, a tenant of a condominium building in Barangay San Andres, Cainta.
Initial investigation disclosed that authorities discovered the lifeless and bloodied body of Palanca around 4:15 p.m. Sunday, May 26, when tenants of the condominium noticed a foul odor emanating from the unit.
Investigators noted that Palanca's head was wrapped with plastic while his body was already in an early state of decomposition.
Palanca was identified by her sister, Shirley, who first reported that the victim went missing almost a week ago.
According to Shirley, the victim left their house on Thursday, May 23, after she had received a booking from a Grab passenger. The last known trip of Palanca was from Antipolo City to a mall in Mandaluyong City.
A day after, Palanca had failed to return home prompting Shirley to seek the authorities' help and file a missing person report to the police.
Police disclosed that after Palanca accepted her last booking ride, she proceeded to the condo unit of Largado in Cainta and never went home since then.
However, the relationship of the victim to the suspect was not clear.
A closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed Palanca stepping out of her black Toyota Avanza (DAE 3053) and entering the condominium building, police noted.
A separate CCTV footage caught Largado when he went out of the condominium building and drove Palanca's vehicle.
According to the police, the victim's vehicle was found in Lucena, Quezon.
P/Lt. Col. Alvin Consolacion, chief of Cainta police, said the suspect pawned the vehicle to a friend.
Meanwhile, Palanca's body was brought to Heaven's Gate Memorial Chapel in Cogeo, Antipolo City for autopsy.
The police have launched a follow-up investigation to determine the cause of Palanca's death and the motive behind the killing.