THE prime suspect in the death of a caretaker at a game fowl farm -- whose body was buried inside the compound in Sitio Lubres, Barangay Pung-ol Sibugay, a mountain village in Cebu City -- was arrested by Police Station 12 in Malubog.
The suspect was identified as Jonathan Leoligao, 43, married, a native of Talibon, Bohol.
He was arrested in Taboan, Barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City, where he had been hiding for two days after the discovery of the body of Jovanie Asir Bonghanoy, 46, of Sitio Proper Sibugay, Cebu City.
The suspect admitted to the crime, saying that on the afternoon of Sunday, August 24, 2025, he and the victim had been drinking inside his bunkhouse at the farm. When the victim got drunk, he allegedly became unruly and challenged him to a fistfight.
Leoligao said that he lost control, grabbed a knife, and stabbed Jovanie in the neck until he died.
“Wala ko kahibawo nga kung mahubog na siya mag maoy ba, manghagis, manghagad og away nya giingnan pa mi nga bag-o pa gani mo diri, mura namog mag hinawod. Mao na iyang himuon namo kada inom namo,” said Leoligao.
(I didn’t know that whenever he got drunk, he would become rowdy, shout, and pick fights. He even told us that since we were new here, we shouldn’t act arrogant. That’s how he treated us every time we drank together.)
After killing the victim, he placed half of the body inside a chicken feed sack, wrapped the rest with a raincoat, and then called four of his companions -- one of them a minor -- threatening to kill them if they refused to help him bury the body in a remote part of the farm later that night.
Three days later, when the decomposing body was discovered, Leoligao remained hiding inside the farm before escaping to Taboan on the evening of Wednesday, August 27, 2025. On August 29, he reportedly called his employer saying he was ready to surrender.
The victim’s older brother, Romeo Bonghanoy, expressed gratitude for the quick arrest of the suspect. Their family, however, also wants those who helped bury his brother charged and jailed.
“Hustisya gyud ang akoang gusto sir. Sa tinuod lang nga pagka sulti sir, kung mahimo pa lang nga komkomon ang balaod, maayo kaayong pangayoon uy. Ibugti nako siya sa kinabuhi sa akung igsuon,” said Bonghanoy.
(What I want is justice, sir. Honestly, if only the law allowed it, I would gladly demand a life for a life.)
Romeo added that before the family learned Jovanie was dead, the suspect had misled them by saying their brother was missing and should be looked for. Leoligao told them Jovanie had left the farm and never returned.
This prompted the Bonghanoy family to seek help from barangay tanods of Pung-ol Sibugay. While searching inside the farm, they smelled a foul odor and later discovered freshly dug soil. Upon inspection, they found the decomposing body of Jovanie.
Barangay tanods immediately called the police, who began their investigation.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, deputy city director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office, praised the Malubog police for capturing the suspect in less than 24 hours. She revisited the crime scene to oversee a reenactment of how the killing and burial happened.
Macatangay said they will file a murder case against the suspect and also charge his four companions who helped bury the victim.
“We will file a case of murder and there will be many aggravating circumstance nga atung ikarga sa kaso. Mao na karon nga nasuta nato unsa ni nga mga aggravating circumstance pamaagi aning atung pag reenact sa iyaha,” said Macatangay.
(We will file a case of murder with several aggravating circumstances, which we have determined through the reenactment.)
Following the incident, Leoligao expressed remorse and asked forgiveness from the family of Jovanie, saying he regretted what he had done and was prepared to accept the punishment that would be imposed on him. (AYB)
