Miss Philippines-Earth 2013 runner up shot dead in Isabela
SAN MANUEL, Isabela — A 32-year-old former Miss Philippines-Earth 2013 runner-up was shot dead inside her SUV in front of her home in Barangay Cabaritan in this town on Friday (Feb. 13) at about 6:45 p.m., police said.
The victim, teacher Lullete Jane Ramilo-De Guzman, had gunshot wounds in the face and side of the body and died on the spot. She was later declared dead at Manuel Roxas District Hospital in Roxas town.
Police said Ramilo-De Guzman was inside the vehicle with her children when her father stepped out of their Toyota Fortuner to open the gate of their house. A gunman riding a motorcycle without a plate number reportedly entered the area and repeatedly fired at her.
READ: Olongapo nurse crowned Miss PH-Earth on second try
The three children were unharmed but were left traumatized after witnessing the shooting. The assailants fled eastward along the national road in the town’s District 3.
Ramilo-De Guzman was a former Miss San Manuel and finished as a runner-up in the 2013 Miss Philippines-Earth pageant, where she also received minor awards, including Miss Global International and Miss Genuine Person.
She earned a Bachelor of Secondary Education degree from the University of Perpetual Help System Laguna-Isabela campus.
Major Rogelio Natividad, San Manuel police chief, said investigators were pursuing several possible angles — personal, work-related, or other motives — but have yet to identify suspects.
“We have no clear leads yet as to the motive or the suspects. We are processing the evidence and conducting follow-ups,” Natividad said in a phone interview Saturday.
He added that authorities are still waiting for the crime laboratory’s report to determine the firearm used.
Natividad urged residents to report suspicious individuals to authorities to prevent similar incidents.
Ramilo-De Guzman’s live-in partner, Clifford Dela Cruz, cut short a seminar in Manila and returned to Isabela after learning of her death. He and the victim’s relatives were initially unable to give statements due to grief.
In a Facebook post, Dela Cruz condemned the killing, which occurred in front of their children.
He added that some people may have harbored jealousy or anger over Ramilo-De Guzman’s stand against bullying. /atm
