'Too much anger' in rob-slay of woman, daughter, probers say

MANILA, Philippines - The latest evidence found in the killing of a seaman’s wife and their 15-year-old daughter in their Caloocan City house Saturday indicates robbery may not be the motive, the Caloocan City police said yesterday.

“Robbers may kill their victims by stabbing them once or twice but not in this particular case. It looks like no plain robbery,” Chief Inspector Rodrigo Soriano, Caloocan City police investigation chief, told The STAR.

He said Faith Jaena, 50, was stabbed at least 50 times all over her body while her daughter, Tessa, a third year high school student, suffered more than 30 stab wounds. “There’s too much anger here,” Soriano said.

Tessa’s older brother, Timothy, who had just come home from a night shift job, found their bodies in the master’s bedroom of their house in Barangay 173 at around 8 a.m.

Soriano said the victims received death threats before the attack. He refused to elaborate.

Investigators declined to identify Faith’s husband, but said the seaman is out of the country.

Mayor Enrico Echiverri offered yesterday a P200,000 reward for the arrest of the killers.

Echiverri also directed city police chief Senior Superintendent Jude Santos to double their efforts to solve the twin killings as soon as possible.

Chief Inspector Ronald Perilla, Substation 5 commander, said at least two witnesses went to the police station yesterday.

He said one of the witnesses saw two men, one slightly built and the other chubby, both around 45 to 50 years old, drinking at the terrace of the victims’ house at around 1 a.m.

“The other witness saw at least two men casing the victims’ house at around 11 p.m.” Perilla said.

He said they may release sketches of the killers today.

Perilla earlier said initial investigation indicated that the motive could be robbery because the attackers fled with the victims’ belongings, including a laptop, jewelry, mobile phones and an undetermined amount of money.

He said there was no sign of forced entry at the Jaenas’ house, which could mean the victims could have known their killers. – With Jerry Botial