Diergos laid to rest in Guimaras, as SIT vows case won’t be buried

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Businesswoman Claire Diergos was laid to rest Sunday, Nov 7, in her hometown in Buenavista, Guimaras.

A necrological service was held at their house before her remains were brought to Banban Private Cemetery, where the final blessing was conducted.

As her coffin was being placed in the tomb, emotions ran high among Claire’s siblings and her mother.

In between tears and wailing, they shouted, “magabayad kamo” (You will pay) in apparent reference to Claire’s killers who remain elusive, as of this date.

Just like Claire’s family, it is also the desire of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) handling Diergos’s case to speed up the investigation and filing of charges against the suspects.

Senior Master Sergeant Francisco Lindero, SIT spokesperson, said the team sub-clusters have been very careful in the conduct of investigation to build a strong case against the perpetrators.

“We’re asking for the public’s indulgence to be patient. There are things that we couldn’t do in haste,” he said.

For one, Lindero said the teams conducted several technical examinations, which he did not elaborate as the results are yet to be submitted.

“But the good news, there are results that would be released starting Monday. We could not say what it is, as long as the examiners affixed their signatures in the result,” he said.

He revealed that part of those who conducted technical tests are from the Regional Crime Laboratory, Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit, and private individuals and agencies.

“The advice of our legal officers is for the evidence to be ripe before we take the step in filing a case against the suspects. We want our evidence to be scientifically backed that it would pass the standards of the court,” he said.

But Lindero remains tight lipped on the possible motive that their investigation has unearthed so far.

The SIT last met Friday. An SIT sub-cluster again met on Sunday.

Last week, Lindero said the team is confident that that they are “closer to their goal” of identifying the perpetrators behind the killing.

Colonel Gilbert Gorero has challenged the SIT to be more resourceful citing that there is no perfect crime.

“Given their motivation, resourcefulness and skills, I trust that they could solve the puzzle in this case,” he said.

Three persons have earlier voluntarily submitted themselves for a technical test, particularly a polygraph or lie detector test.

Presently, the reward for those who could provide reliable information on the incident has climbed to P500,000.

The P300,000 was offered by Claire’s friend, businessman Carlo Hubo, and P100,000 each from Mayor Luigi Gorriceta of Pavia, Iloilo and Mayor Eugene Reyes of Buenavista.