ORMOC CITY – A 42-year-old retired US Army serviceman was found lifeless inside his rented room at a homestay apartelle in Barangay 83-B Cogon, San Jose in Tacloban City on Friday, March 15, at around 8:00 am.
Local police identified the victim as alias “Tom,” a native of Mississippi, USA, who had been residing in Barangay 39, Calvary Hill in said city with his Filipina live-in partner, alias “Melai,” 44.
According to the police investigation, the couple checked into the apartelle on March 14 in anticipation of a scheduled power outage in Tacloban.
Later that evening, Melai and her three children arrived but struggled to enter as Tom was heavily intoxicated and unable to open the gate. She stated that he had consumed two bottles of Emperador Brandy and was restless. Opting to sleep in a separate room, she last overheard him talking at around 9 pm before she fell asleep.
The next morning, Melai attempted to wake him up but received no response, prompting her to call the police. She also informed authorities that Tom consumed alcohol daily.
The Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) processed the scene, while the victim was rushed to a city hospital, where the attending physician pronounced him dead on arrival, citing alcoholic intoxication as a possible cause.
His remains are laid to rest at Cebu Rolling Hills, Caibaan, Tacloban City.
(ROBERT DEJON)
