Claire Diergos’ helper surrenders to police
ILOILO City – One of the suspects in the killing of businesswoman Claire Diergos surrendered to the police yesterday.
Rudelyn Sumbong, 24, of Barangay Baclayan, New Lucena, Iloilo surfaced at the New Lucena, Iloilo police station at around 3 p.m. after learning that an arrest warrant for murder was issued against her.
Sumbong was accompanied by Baclayan village chief, John Suerte.
As of last night, she was still detained at the New Lucena police station.
The arrest warrant was issued by Judge Emerald Requina-Contreras of the Regional Trial Court ( RTC) Branch 23.
Sumbong refused to issue a statement. She and two others were indicted in the Diergos case – Raffy Sorioso and Gardo Ibrahim.
Diergos, a single mother, was found dead on Oct. 26, 2021 inside her sport utility vehicle in Barangay Inangayan, Santa Barbara, Iloilo.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), however, determined that Diergos was actually killed in her house at Deca Homes subdivision in adjacent Pavia town.
Autopsy showed Diergos had multiple stab wounds: two on the neck, five on the left hand and two on the right hand. Her neck was slashed.
On Oct. 29, 2021 Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) conducted a luminol acid test in Diergo’s house at Deca Homes Subdivision, Barangay Balabag, Pavia.
Blood traces were spotted on the floor, walls, bed, blanket of Diergo’s three- year- old daughter, table, comfort room, Diergos’ dressing room, and the cover of the washing machine.
A closed-circuit television footage showed Diergos’ Montero Sport leaving Deca Homes at 4:20 a.m. on Oct. 25.
One of the first persons the police invited for questioning was Sumbong of New Lucena.
She last saw Diergos alive late night of Oct. 24 ( Sunday), she told the police, and hadn’t seen
her since waking up Monday morning after.
Sumbong was hired j ust that Sunday afternoon. She said Diergos, who had a three-yearold daughter, fetched her at the transport terminal in Barangay Tagbak, Jaro, Iloilo City and they had dinner in Oton town before going home to Deca Homes around 8 p.m.
I f Sumbong were to be believed, she went to sleep soundly that Sunday night after Diergos told her to just leave the gate unlocked./