DepEd official’s wife, housemaid slain

MANILA, Philippines - The wife of an official of the Department of Education (DepEd) and her housemaid were murdered, allegedly by her son-in-law, in Sta. Ana, Manila yesterday.

Police identified the fatalities as Lucita Menguito, 53, wife of DepEd assistant regional director for National Capital Region Ponciano Menguito, and housemaid Jennifer Magtulis, 18.

Menguito was a former superintendent of the Division of City Schools in Manila.

Police said the incident happened in Menguito’s house in Sta. Ana.

Menguito’s son-in-law, John Adrian Edquilang, 37, was arrested in his house in Parañaque City, Manila Police District homicide section chief Inspector Dennis Javier said.

Javier said Edquilang would be charged with murder and car theft since the victim’s car was missing.

In her last text message to her husband, Menguito asked the DepEd official to go home to resolve domestic problems.

Police probers have yet to establish the cause of the victims’ deaths but their bodies bore several wounds and an open wound in the head.