Bizwoman likely killed in own house

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Sta. Barbara Police Station believes that businesswoman Claire Diergos may have been killed inside her house in Pavia, Iloilo.

But Major Raymond Celoso, Sta. Barbara police chief, said that it’s not conclusive yet, as the SOCO team has yet to finish the investigation.

The SOCO team is reportedly waiting for reagents that would be used in processing the possible crime scene.

Diegos’ house at Deca Homes in Pavia has been cordoned off and only SOCO operatives were allowed inside. It is also guarded by the local police.

Celoso said the SOCO team was able to extract blood spatter, hair strands, and smudges from the victim’s room,

Late Thursday afternoon, Celoso and other investigators also conducted a case conference.

“We were able to interview the victim’s close friends and her colleagues. We are in the process of elimination of the possible persons of interest,” he said.

Several persons are still being investigated.

“But as to specific individuals nga gina-tutukan, wala pa gid,” Celoso said.

Based on the post-mortem result, it is likely that Diergos was killed between 11 p.m. Sunday (Oct 24) and 1 a.m. Monday.

Based on her stomach content, around 200ml of food was left, “which means that she digested food just two hours before she was killed.”

It is also possible that she was already dead when her car left the subdivision around 4:20 a.m. Monday, based on security camera footages gathered by the police.

The body of 36-year-old Diergos was found inside a sports utility vehicle (SUV) afternoon of Oct 26 in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.

She succumbed to two stab injuries and an incise or slash wound on her neck.

She also suffered two “hesitation” or “tentative” stab wounds on her left hand, specifically on her palm, and two incise wounds on her right thumb.

Investigators also found scalp hematoma on the left side of her head and another hematoma in her right thigh.

“Her head could have been struck or got hit while struggling while the hematoma on her thigh could be a sign that she was forcefully held on that part,” Celoso said.

Based on the state of the cadaver, she was already dead for around two days.

Diergos was wrapped in a comforter and some clothes and was laid down on the second row seat of her Mitsubishi Montero Sports’ (license plate WRQ-846) which was parked at Barangay Inangayan.

As there was no blood splatter inside the victim’s vehicle, it was also likely that she was killed elsewhere.

Pillows, which were believed to be that of Diergos, were also found in a river near Inangayan.

A witness also claimed to have seen a man and woman (not Diergos) intensely talking near her vehicle prior to the discovery of the body.