BAGUIO CITY – Police on Friday, Sept. 9, filed murder charges against two suspects in the killing of Juliet “Shane” Hesim here in August.
City police chief Col. Glenn Lonogan said drug charges were also filed against Reneval Ponce, 31, of Bacolod City and alias ”Eminem,” after investigation disclosed that the suspects consumed shabu before meeting the victim.
In the presence of an attorney at the Baguio City Police Office-Camdas Police Station, Ponce signed on Thursday, Sept. 8, an extra-judicial confession stating his participation in the crime.
Ponce admitted to participating in the crime but tagged another person as Hesim’s killer.
WHAT HAPPENED
In his statement, Ponce said he found Hesim on Aug. 29 in a Facebook group for masseuses and asked her profile photo and mobile number.
After negotiating payment for a massage, Ponce instructed Hesim to go to Trancoville to meet him. They proceeded to his boarding house which was the last time the victim was seen alive.
Hesim entered Room 202 and was introduced by Ponce to Eminem who stiffed the victim and argued with Ponce to renegotiate her payment.
Eminem punched the victim in the stomach and she reeled in pain. Ponce grabbed Hesim and duct-taped her hands and lips.
Eminem undressed the victim and tossed her to the floor and physically assaulted Hesim who struggled and pleaded for her life.
Eminem flipped Hesim over and knelt on her back and Ponce said he felt fear and retreated to the corner of the room.
Eminem took a belt and wrapped it twice around the neck of Hesim and yanked it hard until her legs stopped struggling, had spasms, and went limp.
Ponce said Eminem double checked if Hesim was still breathing and turned her over on her back and felt her stomach.
All this happened while they were both high on drugs, Ponce said. Ponce said he and Eminem took shabu before meeting Hesim.
Ponce said he does not know if Eminem sexually assaulted the victim after killing her as he left him with the body of the victim sprawled naked on the floor for Puguis in La Trinidad, Benguet where he was working and stayed there until Sept. 3 before leaving for Pasay City.
Eminem told Ponce through FB Messenger that Hesim’s body has been discovered a day after the crime. The Messenger account has been deleted. Hesim was found with duct tape around her mouth and hands and belt tied around her neck in a garage in Barangay Alfonso Tabora.
Ponce was assisted by lawyers Reinaur Aluning and Orlando Tenorio Jr. from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Baguio-Benguet Chapter free legal service and was advised on his legal rights before executing his confession to the investigators of Baguio City Police Office Station 2 and also before being sworn by Baguio City Prosecutor Immanuel Awisan.
An autopsy report revealed that Hesim’s cause of death was strangulation asphyxiation by ligature.
A search warrant issued by Judge Cecilia Corazon S. Dulay-Archog of Branch 7, Regional Trial Court here on Monday, Sept. 5, resulted to the recovery of pieces of evidence linking the two suspects to their crimes.
Major Manuel Canipas Jr., Camdas police station commander, said Ponce voluntarily surrendered while his live-in partner accompanied him to clear her name at the police station on Thursday, Sept. 8, after being linked to Hesim’s death.
Police are still determining Eminem’s real identity.