Maid tagged in lawyer's murder caught

MANILA, Philippines - More than half a year after being implicated in the killing of a lawyer in Quezon City, a woman who used to work for the victim as a maid was arrested by policemen in a town in Negros Occidental, officials said yesterday.

After several months in hiding, suspect Michelle Beringa was finally located in Cadiz City when she contacted a staff of her slain boss and asked for a job and monetary support for her newborn child, said Senior Inspector Claro Ingco Jr., chief of the Warrant and Subpoena Section of the Quezon City Police District.

 “She gave her ATM (automated teller machine) account to the secretary of her slain boss after she asked for money to help her support her child. It was through her ATM account that our operatives finally located her in Cadiz City,” Ingco told reporters in an interview.

Following her arrest on April 22, Beringa was brought to Metro Manila and has since been transferred to the Quezon City Female Dormitory.

Beringa and fellow housemaid Josephine Coritana were implicated in the killing of their employer, octogenarian lawyer Emilio Venegas, who was found dead in his house on Mindanao Avenue, Barangay Bagong Pagasa last Sept. 12 with an extension cord looped around his neck.

Investigators initially thought it was a robbery-homicide case but later considered personal vendetta as a motive after finding out that Venegas allegedly scolded and physically harmed his maids after they reportedly broke one of the items inside the house.

Police also noted that Beringa and Coritana had gone missing since Venegas’ death was discovered.

Policemen filed murder charges against the two maids, who both failed to appear during the preliminary investigation conducted by the prosecutor, who referred the case to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 96. The court eventually issued arrest warrants against Beringa and Coritana.

After several months, the QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit eventually received a tip on Beringa’s whereabouts.

Ingco said since Beringa had just given birth, she contacted the secretary of her late boss to ask if she could help her find a job, maintaining she had nothing to do with Venegas’ death.

The secretary refused and asked why Beringa had gone into hiding if her claim was true. Beringa claimed she was forced to leave Metro Manila out of fear after she was implicated in the case, Ingco said.

“We advised the secretary to continue communicating with the former househelp to get information on her whereabouts,” he said.

Ingco said Beringa then asked if she could just ask for money to support her child, giving the secretary the number of her ATM account where the money could be deposited.

Investigators traced the account to Negros Occidental. QCPD-CIDU police officers coordinated with Cadiz City’s chief of police, during which they found out that the area where the suspect was staying – Sitio Martizan in Barangay Tinaupaan – was “infested by (communist) NPA (New People’s Army) guerrillas.”

Police negotiated with members of Beringa’s clan, who eventually gave in and handed her over.

According to Ingco, Beringa maintained she had nothing to do with the murder, claiming her boyfriend killed her boss.

Ingco said the boyfriend would have to be identified and a case should be filed against him if he was indeed involved in the crime.

Ingco said the other maid charged along with Beringa remains at large and is still the subject of a manhunt.