Sharon Monreal, a colleague of the victims, reported to police early Saturday morning that she found the victims Nene Colao (store manager), Espera Dacu (cashier) and Adaya (cook) bathed in blood on the floor of the second of the three-story building. All three workers were reported to be residents of the staff house. But police reported later that Adaya, the cook, was a stay-out employee.
Elieza Jean Enterprises, with business office and stock room in the ground floor, is a wholesaler of different merchandises. The second floor serves as staff house and the third reported to be empty.
Police said the victims were stabbed to death. Based on the police’s special written report (SWR) on the incident emailed to this reporter Wednesday, the victims sustained multiple stab wounds in different parts of the body.
The report cited that five cellular phones of the victims were missing.
Initially, police reported that no money was taken because cash amounting to P214,796 was found intact inside a yellow backpack owned by Colao.
But later in the afternoon, the management of the store declared there was robbery because they lost about P61,000 cash.
Polistico told investigators he was at home, in Nasuli, Bangcud, Malaybalay City, not in the crime scene.
DXDB radio reporter Arthur Jun Sapanghari, one of those who covered the police investigation of the crime scene, said it caused alarm both among the residents and the business community.[]
Those he interviewed said they made extra security measures. Some parents said they also were more cautious about their children’s whereabouts after school.[]
