BAGUIO CITY – One of the principal suspects in the brutal murder of an entertainer last month voluntarily surrendered to police authorities in Manila and confessed his involvement in the killing of the victim during his extra-judicial confession that was taken at the Station 2 of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Thursday.
The suspect who was identified as Renewal Ponce, 31, a native of Bacolod City, Negros Occidental voluntarily gave his confession on his personal knowledge and participation in the killing of Juliet Hessim that happened on August 29, 2022.
Suspect Ponce was assisted by his legal counsel from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) while executing his Extra-Judicial Confession to the investigators of BCPO Camdas Station (PS2).
It can be recalled that Ponce and Babylyn Salvador became the primary suspects after a search warrant that was implemented in their boarding house at barangay Alfonso Tabora, Baguio City on September 5, 2022 that resulted in the recovery of several personal belongings of the victim.
A criminal complaint for Violation of Article 248 (murder) of the Revised Penal Code against the suspects was formally referred to the Office of the City Prosecutor of Baguio City.
The naked body of Hessim was dumped in a garage of a residence at Alfonso Tabora barangay where the same was seen by residents in the morning of Tuesday, August 30, 2022.
Her hands were hogtied with his mouth covered with tape while a belt was tied around her neck.
However, the victim did not sustain any external injuries from the said incident that made probers conclude that she was strangled to death by the still undetermined number of suspects.
By Dexter A. See
