CAGAYAN DE ORO -- A 20-year-old girl and a 55-year-old New Zealander were found dead inside a restroom in two separate incidents on New Year's Day.
The girl, who is still unidentified, was found slumped at the restroom of a motel in Barangay Consolacion, this city, by a room boy, while the foreigner was found dead inside a restroom in a public market in Mati City, Davao Oriental.
Police investigators found markings on the girl's neck, which could mean that she was strangled to death.
Elorde Fabrigas, the motel room boy, told the police that the girl, together with a man, arrived in a taxicab and checked in past 3:30 a.m. of January 1.
He said the couple paid only for "short time," adding that he began to wonder when the couple did not check out when their time was up.
"I checked on them to ask for additional pay since their time had already lapsed," Fabrigas said.
Fabrigas told the police he used the duplicate key to enter the room when no one answered his call.
"It was then I saw the body of the girl slumped at the comfort room," he added.
He said he did not notice when the girl's companion came out.
Ricky Bagas, of the Macabalan Police, said they are looking for the driver of a taxicab with plate number 949 who could probably provide information about the passengers.
On the other hand, the New Zealander, identified as Pittams Brendan Shane, died of a heart attack inside the restroom of Mati Public Market while the nation celebrated the New Year.
Investigation revealed that the foreigner was on board a Bachelor Bus from Davao City and arrived at the Mati Overland Transport Terminal Complex around 2 p.m. on New Year's Day.
One Elenita Bais, owner of stall no. 10 of the terminal complex, said that when Shane alighted from the bus near her stall, she observed that he was wearing only one sandal and his legs were swollen.
The victim was said to have been staggering, appearing weak and holding on to the steel railings of the terminal to prevent himself from falling down.
Around 2:27 p.m., Shane was seen entering the restroom of the nearby public market.
Restroom collector Alberto Maning said that while Shane was inside around 2:30 p.m., he heard something hit the door and so he called his coworker Emilio Roferio to check.
Maning and Roferio found the foreigner lying on his back, unconscious.
Civil security unit personnel on duty Roger Solana and incoming guard Jony Como took the victim to the Saint Camillus Hospital but he was declared dead at 3:30 p.m. after efforts to revive him failed.
The cause of death was acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack.
The City Government of Mati has already coordinated with the Embassy of New Zealand for the proper arrangements for the New Zealander's body.
The body of the girl who was found dead inside a motel room, on the other hand, is now at a funeral home in Bulua, Cagayan de Oro.
While it is clear that the foreigner died of heart attack, police authorities in this city are still determining the motive behind the killing of the girl.
