OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental – A peaceful community in Barangay San Roque was shattered by the brutal killing of a young student inside her own home in the early hours of Friday, July 18.
The victim, identified as Prencess Cabanes Eliaca, 20, a third-year criminology student and the youngest in her family, was found dead in her room after being attacked, robbed, and strangled to death. Her lifeless body was discovered while her parents were away on a fishing trip.
According to her grieving mother, Prencess had chosen to stay home alone and was last seen online chatting with friends around 1:00 a.m. A few hours later, she was dead.
Authorities from the Ozamiz City Police Station, led by Police Chief PLtCol. Harvey S. Abellanosa, responded swiftly. By Friday afternoon, suspect Michael Epong, a neighbor from Purok 2, Baybay San Roque, was arrested and detained after barangay officials and responding officers caught him at his residence.
In a chilling confession made in the presence of police, a barangay official, the media, and his lawyer, Epong admitted to the crime. He told investigators that he initially intended only to steal. Under the influence of alcohol and driven by what he described as “desperation for money,” he entered the victim’s home through an unlocked gate.
Epong recounted that when he encountered Prencess, things “got out of control,” and he strangled her with his bare hands. After killing her, he fled the scene, taking with him her gold necklace and two mobile phones, which he later hid in his work locker in Barangay Calabayan.
In a dramatic moment during the investigation, Epong personally opened the locker and handed over the stolen items to the authorities.
The Ozamiz City Police is now preparing criminal charges against the suspect, who remains in custody. Chief Abellanosa assured the public that a thorough investigation is ongoing and that justice will be served.
The incident has left the San Roque community in deep sorrow and disbelief. Local leaders and residents have condemned the crime, while Eliaca’s family now mourns the senseless loss of a promising young woman whose dream was to serve in law enforcement.
This tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the need for vigilance and community cooperation to prevent such heinous acts, even in the most familiar of places—home.