Businesswoman found dead in Marikina

A 24-hour search by a businessman for his missing Filipina-Chinese "balikbayan" wife ended yesterday in a morgue in Marikina City. Police said Noel Madera, broke down in tears as he positively identified his wife, Teresita, 62, at the Urban Funeral Homes in Marikina City at about 2:15 p.m

Madera identified Teresita through pieces of lispsticks found in her bag, recovered near her body, which was dumped near a creek along Liamson St., Midtown Subdivision, Phase III in Bgy. San Roque. Though Teresita’s face and body bore torture marks, Chief Superintendent Ernest Belen, director of the PNP crime laboratory said, she died of strangulation. "Autopsy revealed that she died of strangulation although she sustained mumps and contusions in the body and head," said Belen adding that there’s no sign that Teresita was molested.

Initial investigation conducted by Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan, Marikina City police chief, showed that robbery is the motive behind Teresita slaying. Reports showed that Madera brought Teresita, who was wearing expensive jewelries, at the local office of the Social Security System along Marcos Highway to attend to a business transaction Thursday morning.

Noel said Teresita, who was also wearing a red dress and green pants and sporting a blond hair, even greeted a group of men outside the SSS building before proceeding inside. That was the last time Teresita was seen alive by her husband.

When Madera returned an hour later, he could not find Teresita.

Madera described Teresita’s appearance to the SSS manager and a local bank official and inquired if she transacted business with them. He got a negative response.

Madera, a resident of Marikina City, accompanied by his relatives surfaced at Radovan’s office at 11:30 a.m. Thursday to seek his help in finding his missing wife. Unknown to him, residents of the posh Midtown subdivision found his wife’s body, dumped in a creek at 8 a.m. Thursday. No identification card was recovered in her bag.

But as gathered by Marikina City policemen, after Madera left Teresita at the SSS building, unidentified men reportedly dragged her, inside a dark blue van without license plate.

Police said it could be the same vehicle noticed by residents roaming their subdivision streets prior to the discovery of Teresita’s body. Belen said the victim was stripped of her jewelry, undetermined cash and other personal belongings.

Radovan coordinated with Gaerlan who informed him of the recovery of the body of a Chinese-looking woman in Bgy. San Roque.

When informed that the woman was wearing a red dress, Madera and his relatives hugged themselves and cried unabashedly.