CEBU CITY – The best friend of Rhea Mae Tocmo, who was killed and stuffed in a box, is planning to file charges against a taxi driver who implicated her in the gruesome killing.

Jewel Smith (real name withheld upon her request), faced reporters on Monday, August 7, to deny accusations that she had something to do with the death of Tocmo, whose body was found stuffed in a cardboard box and dumped by the road in Barangay Tisa here on July 17.

Smith showed up when a taxi driver visited a radio station on Saturday, August 5, and disclosed his supposed knowledge about the crime.

According to the taxi driver, three persons boarded his taxi last July 17 with a big cardboard box.

The driver said he transported the passengers to a condominium in Barangay Labangon here.

A photo of Tocmo together with Smith was then shown to the taxi driver during the interview.

The driver confirmed that the woman in the photo together with Tocmo was Smith, was one of the passengers whom he brought to the condominium.

The driver claimed that he was also able to identify Smith through her tattoo on her leg.

The tattoo was visible in the photos that Smith uploaded on her social media account.

In denying the taxi driver’s allegations, Smith said she was in her house in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City the whole day on July 17.

“Tulog ko pako ana kay duty baya ko pagka Dominggo unya wala koy tarong tulog, unsa na baya mi oras mauli pag gikan og trabaho, syempre pahuway gyud ka kay lawas lang inyong capital, pahuway ko tag ala 1 gyud ko tigmata, ala 1, alas 2 (I was sleeping at the time because I worked on Sunday. I didn’t have enough sleep because we usually go home late from work. I need to rest because my body is my only investment. I rest and I usually wake up at 1 (p.m.) or 2),” said Smith.

Smith said when she woke on the day that Tocmo was found dead, she immediately looked for her and checked if she was able to go home.

She said she tried calling Tocmo but she could not be contacted anymore.

Smith said she decided to go to the barangay hall to report when Tocmo could still not be found a day later.

Smith challenged the taxi driver to present the footage of the taxi’s dashcam to prove that she was one of the passengers that she brought to a condo hours before Tocmo was found dead.

She said the last time that she and Tocmo were together was last July 15 when they ate together under a bridge in Looc.

Tocmo lived in Panabo City, Davao del Norte where he and Smith came to know each other. Smith said Tocmo lived in their house in Mandaue while she was still applying for a job.

Smith said she arrived in Cebu last April.  Tocmo arrived in Cebu last June to look for a job, said Smith.

Police have arrested two men as suspects in the killing of Tocmo but both denied involvement in the crime.

Lawmen first arrested Simeon Gabutero after he was identified as the person who sold the missing cell phone of Tocmo.

Gabutero then pointed to Roberto Gabison as the one who instructed him to sell the cell phone. Gabison denied the allegations against him, saying he and Gabutero are not close friends and he didn’t know Tocmo.