Body of trader found two weeks after being reported missing

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya - The body of a missing trader from this northern Philippine province’s commercial town of Solano, was found on Monday, two weeks after she was reported missing. Remains of Emilia Ancheta, 47, who was first reported missing by her relatives after her mysterious disappearance on June 29, was found by the police buried in a shallow grave along a steep ravine in Quezon town’s Baresbes village. A resident accidentally stumbled upon Ancheta’s decomposing body while gathering some root crops along a woody area of the said village, Quezon police chief Senior Inspector Oscar Callangan disclosed to GMANews.TV. The victim was positively identified by her relatives through dental records and personal belongings found near the burial site. Initial investigation revealed that Ancheta, 47, failed to notify them of her whereabouts on the morning of June 29, an occurrence that is unusual, her housemates said. Her relatives narrated that the victim have withdrawn some P100,000 in cash a day before she disappeared but found that it was missing along with still undetermined amount of jewelries. Authorities have pointed to a certain Jayson Ubando, 19, a resident of Ilagan, Isabela and helper at the victim’s piggery business as the prime suspect to the killing who, with his wife, disappeared a day after. Jovie Chua, the victim’s sister, said the suspect was hired four months ago by the victim. The suspect was said to be seeking an advance on his salary but was rejected because he already got an advance previously, Chua added. “Mimi (Emilia) denied Jayson’s request for another advance in his salary a day before she vanished. I think that could be one of the reasons for the murder," she said, adding that Ubando returned to Ancheta's house early the following day and cleaned the back of a pickup truck where police earlier found what was believed to be human blood stains. An ambulant vendor who regularly passes by the street where the victim lives told police that he saw Ubando at about 10:30 in the morning of June 29 driving Ancheta’s pick-up truck with a load of what appears to be something bulky wrapped in a sack. Authorities who are now hot on the trail of the suspect said they are looking into several angles to the killing but did not discount that possibility that Ancheta is a victim of robbery. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV