MEXICO, Pampanga -- A 30-year-old burger stand crew was found dead some 50 meters away from her workplace in Barangay Lagundi here on Friday dawn, September 1.
Rema Bertulfo, a resident of Barangay San Patricio here, was reportedly raped before killed, police said.
Barangay Lagundi Councilman Jojo Torres said the victim was found lifeless by a resident near the burger stand around 4 a.m. last Friday and reported the incident to the barangay officials.
“Iyong nangungupahan na malapit sa tindahan, bumaba siya around 4:00 a.m. papunta sa trabaho nang makita niya ang biktima na nakabulagta at duguan. Agad siyang nagreport sa mga bantay-bayan sa barangay at doon tumawag ng pulis,” Torres narrated.
The incident was caught on the CCTV camera installed near the area. Footage showed that two male personalities were spotted in the area at 1:00 a.m. on the said date.
Around 1:02 a.m., one of the suspects was seen in the CCTV footage eating at the burger stand while the other one was standing some 100 meters away, allegedly serving as the lookout for his companion.
The CCTV footage also revealed that lights in the burger stand suddenly went out at around 1:13 a.m. and after about 12 minutes.
The suspect was seen going out of the burger stand and walked away going to the west direction together with his suspected companion.
Superintendent Wilson Alicuman, town police chief, said they are still establishing the identity of the suspects based on CCTV recordings.
Alicuman furthered that there was no murder weapon found but investigating team saw a pair of scissors full of bloodstains in the crimescene.
The victim’s mother, Rita Bernulfo, is now seeking justice for the heinous crime committed against her daughter, and called on possible eyewitnesses to help them identify the suspects.
Rita said that her daughter is a solo parent and has been working at the burger stand for almost a year to send her only child to school. She was working on a night shift which starts at 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
“Hindi ko matanggap-tanggap, e. Nagtatrabaho ‘yan para mapaaral ang nag-iisang anak niya. Sana mahuli na ang mga gumawa niyan at pagbayaran nila ang ginawa nila sa anak ko,” said Rita while weeping.