Town councilor, wife jump off hotel

CEBU, Philippines - A town councilor died after he allegedly jumped off a hotel with his wife in Bato, Southern Leyte last Wednesday, according to an ABS-CBNNews online report.

Reynaldo Castillo, a councilor of Bontoc town, Southern Leyte, died after he and his wife, Marwena, jumped off the 3rd floor of Zam and JB Hotel. Marwena survived the jump but is now in critical condition.

Hotel employees said the couple checked in at the hotel on Sunday. The hotel attendant on duty said the incident happened at around 2 a.m.

Reynaldo succumbed to his wounds at the Hilongos Hospital, while Marwena remained in critical condition at the OSPA–Farmers’ Medical Center in Ormoc City.

Bato Police found a suicide note inside the couple’s hotel room believed to be written by Marwena. Contact numbers of people whom they supposedly wanted to be informed of the incident were written on the note.

The relatives of the victims however have no clue as to what triggered the two to jump off the building. “Wala akong nalalaman, nabigla nalang ako. Wala akong masasabi sa kapatid ko, mabuti siyang tao,” said Florencia Asares, Reynaldo’s sister.

However, police revealed that Reynaldo was tagged in the murder of a woman in a hotel in Maasin City last September 7. A closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed him entering the hotel with the victim.

The relatives of the victims declined to comment about Reynaldo’s murder case, but they noted that Marwena was suffering from breast cancer.  (FREEMAN)