Slain doctor’s partner surrenders

MANILA, Philippines — The alleged partner of a doctor who was found dead with a gunshot to the head in Naga, Camarines Sur surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday.

Raymart Martinez was tagged as a person of interest in the murder of Rajean Monette Romualdez, 36, a doctor at the Bicol Medical Center (BMC).

Romualdez was found dead in her car parked near the BMC and the office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Barangay Concepcion Pequena on Feb. 16.

The NBI said Martinez was in Matnog, Sorsogon when he decided to turn himself in to the agency’s field office in Naga.

An NBI official said the family of Martinez coordinated with authorities.

The source said the family convinced Martinez that it would be better for him to surrender.

The NBI said a relative of Romualdez tagged Martinez in the killing.

Martinez, said to be Romualdez’s partner, was hunted by authorities after he did not surface when the doctor was found dead.

“Normally, if something happened to your relative, wife, husband or partner, you would be the first to show up and ask how it happened. In this case, he has not shown up and cannot be located,” Naga police spokesman Lt. Col. Chester Pomar earlier said.

Citing video footage of closed-circuit television cameras installed near where Romualdez’s body was found, Bicol police director Maj. Gen. Andre Dizon said the person of interest was last seen with the victim at 1:30 a.m., or 11 hours before the crime was discovered at 2:30 p.m.

The city government of Naga has offered P200,000 for anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of Romualdez’s killer.