Fashion designer killed by live-in partner

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A famous fashion designer in Cebu was killed by her Australian live-in partner who later committed suicide inside her house in Mandaue City on Saturday night.

Joy Bernaldez, 52, was found dead on the second level of her house in Barangay Cabancalan. She suffered a fatal gunshot wound in the head.

The body of Australian Joseph Cardona, 53, was found in the garage. The police investigators said the Australian shot himself in the mouth after killing Bernaldez.

Bernaldez, a noted fashion designer owned J Berns Exclusives, a company she put up when she was 19, according to her website. Her shops were located in Cebu, Manila, Davao and Bohol. In 1997, she founded Clothes for Life Foundation composed of local fashion designers, stylists, fashion organizers and models who worked together for a good cause.
Senior Superintendent Noel Gillamac, Mandaue police director, said jealousy pushed Cardona to shoot Bernaldez as the Australian would be miffed if the designer would come home late.

Two weeks ago, Bernaldez went to the Mandaue District Hospital for a check-up after the Australian banged her head following an argument. Since then, Gillamac said the couple had not been sleeping in the same room.

But the couple had another argument about 7 p.m. on Saturday. Bernaldez then went to her room on the second floor to pack her clothes, apparently to leave the Australian. But Cardona, armed with a .22 caliber pistol, followed Bernaldez and then shot her in the head.

The Australian then went out of the room, looking for Bernaldez’ son, Jose Mariano Climaco and her two grandchildren, said Gillamac. But Climaco escaped with the two children aged 2 and 3 and the housemaids.

When he could not find Climaco and the children, Cardona went to the garage, put the barrel of the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger, said Gillamac.

Climaco and the housemaids found the bodies of Bernaldez and Cardona when they returned to the house.