SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has disproven reports of a rising crime rate in the Subic Bay Freeport, particularly in the housing areas here, and called for sobriety among residents to help keep Subic peaceful and crime-free.

This after it assured residents here that SBMA investigators are working hand in hand with local police to solve the killing of Dionisia Espinosa Rendon, a house-help whose body was found at the Cubi Point area here on March 23.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma stressed that the killing is an isolated case, and urged persons who may have information to cooperate towards the resolution of the case.

“We should all work together to make Subic peaceful and crime-free, because this is the reason why the cruise ships and tourists are coming,” Eisma said.

“Let us not put to waste the hard work we gave to make Subic what it is today. This is not a time to create panic, but a time to be stronger together,” she added.

Safe community

Eisma also pointed out that the Subic Bay Freeport remains to be among the areas with the lowest crime volume in the country, with just 68 index and 8 non-index crimes recorded last year. Of these, 53 have been solved, while 15 are pending, giving the SBMA police a crime solution efficiency of 78 percent.

In comparison, a nearby community had a crime volume of 1,486 cases in 2016 and a crime solution efficiency of 53 percent. Another nearby community recorded 143 index crimes from January to March 2017 compared to 18 index crimes in Subic Bay Freeport Zone for the same period and 15 of these were solved.

On the other hand, crime statistics from January to March this year showed 1 break-in, 5 thefts which all occurred in the mall, 1 robbery and the Rendon killing under index crimes, and 1 case of unauthorized fishing. Of these, 6 cases have been either filed in court, settled, or solved, while 3 are still pending.

Crime of passion

Meanwhile, Capt. Dantenor Cruz, chief of the Investigation Division of the SBMA Law Enforcement Department (SBMA-LED), said that while the Philippine National Police in Morong, Bataan has assumed authority over the Rendon killing because the crime scene falls under the political jurisdiction of that municipality, they are still conducting a parallel investigation to help crack the two-week old case open.

“Available information and forensic evidence point to the case as a crime of passion,” Cruz said, pointing out that investigation indicated that Rendon died of asphyxia by manual strangulation.

“We have ruled out robbery because her valuables were not missing and her scooter was found parked near where the body was discovered. And autopsy concluded that she was not raped,” he added.

He said that at this point, the police are investigating two persons of interest and following up leads that may directly link them to the crime.  — SBMA-MPD