Parañaque police probe death of 26-year-old hotel assistant manager at Solaire

MANILA — The Parañaque police are investigating the death of a 26-year-old hotel assistant manager who was rushed unconscious to the hospital, reportedly with bruises on her arms, on Friday.

Senior Supt. Ariel Andrade, the city’s chief of police, said the police were still waiting for the results of the autopsy on Edgel Joy Durolfo, an assistant manager at the Solaire Resort and Casino on Aseana Boulevard in Barangay Tambo. She was declared dead at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Pasay City, where she was rushed unconscious past 4 a.m.

Senior Supt. Ariel Andrade, the city’s chief of police, said hospital personnel were the ones who informed the police about Durolfo’s death before noon after seeing the bruises on the victim’s arms.

“So far, we are still investigating. We can’t say yet what the cause of her death was: if it was hematoma or if there was drug overdose since she was unconscious, we don’t know,” Andrade said.

The police official said a check of the footage from the hotel this Monday showed the victim entering room 812 on the eighth floor of the Sky Tower 2 with four men around 12 midnight of Thursday.

Andrade said four hours later, the four men were seen carrying the unconscious Durolfo outside the room.

“It appears she was taken to the hotel clinic first and then they were advised to go to the hospital,” Andrade said.

Andrade said Durolfo’s sister, Ethel, later identified the four people who were in the hotel room with Edgel Joy as the victim’s live-in partner, Rodney Ynchausti of Quebec St., BF International Village, in Las Piñas; and “Pau Egoc,” “Molo Hwang,” and “Beah Lim.”

Andrade said Ethel was at the same hotel where Edgel Joy was last seen alive, but she did not enter the room where Edgel Joy lost consciousness. The police official said Ethel told the police the four rushed her sister to the hospital.

“When we were told about Edgel Joy’s death, we went to the hospital but we did not see the four men there anymore,” the police official said.

According to Andrade, the police consider Ynchausti and his three companions as “persons of interest,” since they “could have something to do with what happened.”

He said the victim’s mother Evagel told investigators she saw a bite mark on one of Ynchausti’s arms when they saw each other in the hospital.

“According to the mother, the victim’s live-in partner also said sorry to her. But he did not explain why he said sorry,” Andrade said.

The police official said investigators went to Ynchausti’s house this Monday to talk to him but did not find him.

He said the police were still trying to determine the addresses of Ynchausti’s three companions.

“We will be getting statements from those who can give them to us, including Ethel. We haven’t been able to do that yet because the wake for the victim is still ongoing,” Andrade said.

Solaire said in a statement that it was “greatly saddened” by the death of Durolfo and extended its “heartfelt sympathy” to the family of the hotel’s “team member.”

The hotel management said Durolfo was the VIP Premium Services assistant manager. “The family has requested total privacy and does not want us to discuss further details so we must be guided accordingly,” the statement said.

It said the Parañaque police have started conducting an “exhaustive investigation.” “Until the investigation is completed, hotel’s management shall continue to give it maximum priority. The management of Solaire is extending assistance to the family at this hour of need,” it added. Solaire said it received a report Durolfo was rushed to the hospital at 4:37 a.m. and was declared dead by the attending physician at the San Juan de Dios Hospital.  SFM