2 bodies found in burned establishment; foul play eyed

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Police and arson investigators are digging deeper into the possibility of foul play in the deaths of Jose Daliva and Girlie Alabaran, owners of the JD Calibration, a calibration center in Barangay Tagbac, Jaro District in Iloilo City.

Their bodies were found in separate areas of the establishment that was gutted by fire past 10 p.m. Wednesday.

​Supt. Jerry Candido, the city fire marshall, said Daliva’s body was believed to be wrapped with a cloth or plastic before it got burned and was found at the back portion of the car. Albaran’s body was found on a bed with a stab wound in the neck and a knife still embedded in her chest.

​There was no indication that the victims tried to flee when the fire broke out inside their establishment, added Candido.

​“It’s possible that the victims were killed and the establishment was intentionally burned down to hide the crime,” explained Candido.

​Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) are now on the fire scene to further investigate with the arson probers. Autopsy will also be performed to determine the causes of the victims’ deaths.
​The couple owned a calibration center in the area that catered to various types of vehicles and machinery.