Another suspect in Diergos slay case set to surrender
ILOILO City – Another suspect in the death of businesswoman Claire Diergos expressed interest to surrender before the May 24 arraignment.
Raffy Sorioso i nformed his lawyer, Dwight Trasadas, that he would turn himself in to the police next week.
“Naka estoryahanay kami…May ginahimos lang para sa iya pagsurrender,” Trasadas told Panay News.
Sorioso was among the eight persons initially charged with murder. But only t hree were indicted – Sorioso, Diergos’ helper Rudilyn Sumbong, and Gardo Ibrahim.
“Ma- file kami motion to post bail,” said Trasadas.
The Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, on the other hand, dismissed the complaint filed against several members of the Lopez family for insufficient evidence.
Sorioso, a former aide of the Lopezes, denied killing Diergos. In February, six of the 10 persons who executed affidavits which the police used as basis to file the murder complaint were charged with perjury by the Lopezes.
“Ang ila affidavits nga gin sumpaan lunsay kabutigan kag may inconsistencies,” Trasadas told Panay News.
Trasadas cited an example – the claim of one witness that Sorioso drove Diergo’s sport utility vehicle where the victim was supposedly stuffed after she was killed.
According to Trasadas, Sorioso does not know how to drive a fourwheel motor vehicle.
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 i n 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.
L a s t w e e k , S u m b o n g surrendered to the police of New Lucena town upon learning that an arrest warrant had been issued against her. She is now presently detained there.
The arrest warrants against Sorioso, Sumbong and Ibrahim were issued by Judge Emerald Requina-Contreras of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 23.
On the other hand, Ibrahim’s whereabouts remains unknown./