Village chief, woman found dead
The woman was found with a gunshot wound near her heart.
Police recovered her body yesterday down a mountain slope in Balamban town where she was tossed over a cliff by a man who turned up dead hours later, bathed in blood, sitting alone with a pistol on his lap in a parked pickup truck.
The double deaths of 30-year-old Rahoma Luage and barangay captain Rey Oybenes of Mabini, Cebu City shocked those who knew them.
Police are still investigating what could be a crime of passion and suicide.
Luage, a widow, worked as a staff member of Councilor Jun Pe and allegedly had a relationship with Oybenes.
She was found about 1 p.m. in barangay Cansamoroy, Balamban town, 64 kilometers of Cebu City. She had a gunshot wound in the left upper chest.
At 4 p.m. Oybenes was also found dead with a bullet wound in the chest in sitio Tagbao, barangay Talamban.
He was sitting inside his grey Toyota Hi-lux with the engine and aircondtioner still running.
Details of their relationship were sketchy but the two grew close after Luage’s husband died about six years ago, said PO1 Johnrell Romero of the Balamban police based on a relative’s account.
Rahoma or “Ram-ram” was the widow of PO1 Noriel Luage, who was killed while trying to arrest a drug suspect in barangay Zapatera, Cebu City.
Romero said the couple argued a few days ago after the woman tried to break up with the barangay captain.
Witnesses in Balamban described seeing a big man in a red shirt throw something wrapped in black cloth off the cliff along the Transcentral Highway.
Oybenes had a red shirt on when he was found lifeless in his government-issued truck.
The Toyota Hi-lux was found parked along a road outside the MaryVille Subdivision in Talamban.
Oybenes’ wife Jessebel, a midwife at the Guba District Hospital, rushed to the area and broke down upon seeing his body.
When police members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) arrived they couldn’t get the man’s body immediately because the doors were locked. The vehicle’s engine was still running.
Oybenes’ two siblings wanted to force open the door, hoping the barangay captain was still alive.
By 7 p.m., Reme Oybenes, acting against the police’s advice, used a rock to smash the right front window.
A .45 caliber pistol was found on Oybenes’ lap.
Beside him was a lady’s bag with the identification card of Luague.
A street sweeper earlier called the police after noticing the Toyota Hi-lux she had seen at 1 p.m. still parked near a botanical garden past 4 p.m. when she returned.
Suspicious, Azucena Solona asked a habal-habal driver to check.
The driver peeped through the window and saw a bloodied man in the driver’s seat.
Meanwhile, aside from a gunshot wound in the chest, Rahoma had bruises in her arms and forehead which could have been the result of her fall.
Her remains were brought to a funeral home in Balamban where she was identified by relatives who rushed there alerted by TV reports describing the victim’s features.
Half of the widow’s body was covered by overalls with the name of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) and a power barge printed at the back.
A Toyota Hi-lux was seen parked across the slope where her body was dumped, police said.
Motorists driving through the area, including Ruben Carlos, 39, said they saw a man disembark from a Toyota Hi-lux.
Another driver of a van-for-hire saw a man carrying something and throw it into the cliff and reported what he saw to the police.
Police said the Toyota Hi-lux was one of the vehicles issued by the mayor to barangay officials.
“I’m very shocked with what happened,” said Cebu City north district congressman-elect Raul Del Ma.
“He’s a good friend. I’ve known his family for years. I’m already shocked to hear of his death as suicide, more so of the reported tragic circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event.”
Oybenes was aligned with Team Rama.
San Jose barangay captain Joe Ardaba said he and Oybenes were together when barangay captains allied with Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama met last Wednesday morning.
Ardaba said he didn’t notice any sign that Oybenes was troubled.
Councilor Pe said his staff had been trying to call both cellphones of Luage but they were off. Then they heard the tragic news.
“I’m deeply saddened. The police must investigate and look into the details,” said Cebu City Vice Mayor-elect Edgardo Labella.
Cebu City councilor Edu Rama went to the area where Oybenes was found dead./WITH CORRESPONDENTS EDISON DELOS ANGELES, JOSE SANTINO S. BUNACHITA AND CNU INTERN JESSANIE C. LUMAGBAS
