Missing UP Diliman employee found dead in Benguet

A female employee of University of the Philippines - Diliman who was missing for the past five months was found dead in Tuba, Benguet, it was reported Wednesday.

The National Bureau of Investigation-National Capital Region (NBI-NCR) said the victim, 35-year old Irene Melican, suffered a “very painful death”, according to an exclusive report by John Consulta reported on 24 Oras.

In July 2024, NBI agents arrested Melican's 38-year old boyfriend, who is the suspect of the victim’s abduction and subsequent disappearance.

Melican was last seen alive in June. Authorities recovered her cell phone, credit cards and car but she was never found.

The NBI found Melican’s body in Tuba, Benguet. Investigators said her naked remains bore several wounds.

“The conduct was done with the Tuba, Benguet police, the DNA matched doon sa samples, reference materials taken from the parents of victim, Irene Melican. Nagkaroon kami ng closure na ito talaga ang taong hinahanap namin (we had closure that this was exactly the person we were looking for) who was earlier kidnapped by her boyfriend,” said NBI-NCR Regional Director Ferdinand Lavin.

The NBI said the suspect and the victim were seen together last June onboard Melican's sport utility vehicle. They were spotted in Agoo, La Union before going to Benguet.

Based on the medico-legal report of the Philippine National Police and an autopsy conducted by the NBI, Melican met a tragic end.

“She died of traumatic blunt injuries to the chest and the neck. Further, NBI was able to establish that she had broken ribs to the left side of the body. She suffered a very painful death,” said Lavin.

Authorities conducted a search inside the suspect's house in Pateros. Here they discovered a large number of snakes and rats inside several boxes as well as the victim's personal belongings, and other people's valuables.

“The NBI will try to establish kung saan eksakto pinatay, at kung sino sino ang pumatay, ilang tao ang pumatay (establish where exactly she was killed, and who killed who, how many people killed her). As of now, Director (Jaime) Santiago is still on top of this case,” Lavin added. —Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA Integrated News