Victims killed before shop set on fire, say police

ILOILO CITY—Owners of a calibration center were killed before their shop was set on fire by the perpetrators in the evening of July 8.

This was the result of the autopsy conducted by the police on Jose Daliva, 52, and Jolyn Alvaran, 36 (not Girlie Alabaran as reported on July 9).

• Iloilo probers find bodies of 2 owners in gutted shop

Dr. Owen Libaquin, Police Regional Office in Western Visayas medical legal officer, said he didn’t find any soot in Alvaran’s nose and lungs, which indicated she was no longer breathing when JD Calibration, a calibration center in Barangay Tagbac, Jaro District in Iloilo City, was on fire past 10 p.m. on July 8.

“It was possible that both victims were dead before the shop was burned,” Libaquin said.

Daliva’s body was partially burned when found by firefighters because he was partially submerged in rainwater.

Daliva suffered a stab wound in his neck while Alvaran had broken ribs and two fatal stab wounds in her abdomen.

City fire marshal Supt. Jerry Candido earlier suspected that the shop was deliberately set on fire since Daliva’s body was wrapped when found in the back of a car while Alvaran’s body bore stab wounds.