By Jennifer P. Rendon
With only a rolled shirt covering her body, a 38-year-old masseuse was found lifeless inside a motel room in Mandurriao, Iloilo City early morning of April 1, 2023.
Through her identification card, the victim was identified as Christine Gabayeron of Villa Matilde, Barangay San Vicente, Jaro, Iloilo City. But reports indicated she is a native of Barangay Bacjawan Sur, Concepcion, Iloilo.
Gabayeron worked for a 24-hour spa in Barangay Bolilao, Mandurriao, which is just several meters from the Queen’s Drive Inn Hotel where she was found dead.
According to police reports, room attendants Kier Escobido and Edcel Puenteveja noticed a male person leaving Room 111 around 6:30 a.m.
They described the man to be around 30 years old, at least 5 feet and 5 inches in height, medium-built, has short curly hair, and was wearing a black cap and a blue jersey.
The employees asked the man if they would be checking out already, considering that it’s almost three hours since they checked in.
But the man simply answered that her companion was still taking a bath inside the room.
As the two attendants headed towards their room, the man allegedly ran away from the vicinity.
The two attendants went on to check by knocking on the room several times.
When they did not get an answer, they opened the room and discovered Gabayeron’s body sprawled on the floor.
She was lying on her back with only her shirt on which was rolled up to her chest.
Police investigators also noticed a visible hematoma on her face and other parts of her body.
She also suffered a stab injury on the left side of her body.
There were also broken beer bottles scattered in the room and her personal belongings were in disarray.
Lieutenant Colonel Albert Sy, Iloilo City Police Station 5 chief, said the incident was reported to their office at 7:37 a.m.
Sy said they already had a picture of the man who was with Gabayeron when the incident happened. But his identity is still unknown.
According to the manager of the spa center where Gabayeron worked, the same man went to their establishment around 3 a.m. on the said day.
He initially asked for a massage service.
Gabayeron later asked her manager to go out since the man allegedly wanted “home service.”
They readily left the center and were theorized to have headed to the nearby motel.
The manager claimed it was the first time he saw the customer but allowed Gabayeron to go with him.
Investigators said they are yet to establish the motive behind the incident.
But they noted that Gabayeron’s mobile phone and money went missing.
