Camille Naredo

The apartment in Cabuyao City, Laguna, where the woman found sealed in a plastic storage box may have been killed. Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News

The apartment in Cabuyao City, Laguna, where the woman found sealed in a plastic storage box may have been killed.

Article (news)

CRIME

Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767712462591G99SN16bwAEyBu1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The apartment in Cabuyao City, Laguna, where the woman found sealed in a plastic storage box may have been killed. Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News" width="960"/>The apartment in Cabuyao City, Laguna, where the woman found sealed in a plastic storage box may have been killed. Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — Authorities have traced the apartment in Laguna where the woman found inside a sealed plastic storage box may have been killed before her body was transported from Laguna and dumped into a river in Barangay Pinagwarasan, Basud, Camarines Norte, on January 2, 2026.After watching the news report, a tricycle driver and his companion surfaced at the Cabuyao City Police Station, where they directed the investigators to an apartment unit in Mercedes Village, Barangay Sala, Cabuyao City, Laguna, where they said they had picked up the suspect on the night of January 1, 2026.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/6/victim-suspect-in-body-in-box-case-now-identified-1206">READ: Victim, suspect in &#x27;body-in-box&#x27; case now identified</a></div>They told the police that the suspect even asked them for help to carry the storage box down the stairs since the victim’s unit was on the second floor.The witnesses declined to speak to the media but maintained they had no idea the box contained a woman’s body and denied any role in the crime.Police have identified the victim as Anelis Agocoy, 38, from Barangay Buga, Catarman, Camiguin.Camarines Norte Police Provincial Director PCol. Paul Abay said a phone call received by authorities led investigators to confirm Agocoy’s identity.“Dahil po doon sa ginagawa natin cyberpatrolling ay nakapag-connect po tayo doon sa malapit na kamag-anak ng biktima at naconfirm po yung identity ng victim,” Abay said.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/6/victim-suspect-in-body-in-box-case-now-identified-1206">READ: Manhunt underway for suspect in &#x27;body-in-box&#x27; case</a></div>Authorities have also identified the suspect but are withholding his name as manhunt operations continue.However, the victim’s cousin Mae Jean Abamonga alleged that the suspect is Agocoy’s live-in partner, a security guard from Basud, Camarines Norte—the same town where the body was dumped.She added that the suspect works at the factory where the victim was employed as a production operator.Abamonga also disclosed that she had spoken to Agocoy at noon on New Year’s Day, when the victim asked her to accompany her to find a new apartment, expressing her intent to leave her partner due to their frequent arguments.“Noong January po ng tanghali, magkausap po kami, kasi ang sabi po niya pwede ko po ba siya puntahan dito dahil nagpapasama po siya ng malilipatan niya ng apartment. Kasi gusto na po niya umalis dyan, eh lagi po sila nag-aaway. &#x27;Yun lang po talaga ang alam ko,” Abamonga said.She also claimed the victim had already ended the relationship and had a new admirer.The apartment caretaker, identified as Alias Joy, said other tenants heard repeated arguments between the couple before Christmas.“Madalas, minsan may nagbabasagan daw ng gamit, minsan parang may hinahataw daw sa pader,” Joy said.Police said they have secured strong evidence linking the suspect to the crime, including the barcode from the tape used to seal the storage box, which investigators traced to a mall in Cabuyao City where the suspect allegedly bought it.CCTV footage also captured the suspect purchasing tape at the store. The clothes he wore matched the outfit seen when he boarded a passenger bus at the Turbina Terminal in Calamba City, Laguna, on the night of January 1, 2026.“Pinaverify naming sa saleslady, na-discover namin yung shopping mall, yung barcode na yun ay nandoon sa kanila doon lang makikita,” Basud Municipal Police Chief PCpt. Mark Armea said.“Napakaimportante noon dahil natukoy namin &#x27;yung physical identity noonh suspek, and magiging matibay din po yun na ebidensya na ginamit. Possible na ginamit niya yun tape, and doon din po namin nakita yun damit, na-confirm namin yun damit na gamit niya,” he added.A post-mortem examination initially found no visible injuries on the victim’s body, prompting an autopsy, which revealed asphyxia by suffocation as the cause of death.“Maaring tinakpan yun bibig o ilong ng biktima,” Abay said.A region-wide manhunt is ongoing across Bicol and Calabarzon to arrest the suspect.The victim’s family continues to demand justice.“Mahuli ka na para mabigyan ng hustisya  ang pinsan ko sa pagkamatay, dahil hindi na yun tama ginawa niya. Kung nasaan ka man, mahahanap at mahahanap ka din, kahit saan sulok ka magtago” Abamonga said.Meanwhile, Romeo Buro voluntarily presented himself at the Muntinlupa City Police Station to clear his name after being falsely tagged online as the suspect. The tricycle drivers confirmed that Buro was not the suspect.“Masakit yun binato nila sa akin sa Facebook, masakit yun,” Buro said.Buro said he was only a social media follower of the victim and had never met her in person.The victim’s body remains in Camarines Norte, as her family in Camiguin is still trying to raise funds to travel to Bicol and bring her body home for burial.

Authorities have traced the apartment in Laguna where the woman found inside a sealed plastic storage box may have been killed before her body was transported from Laguna and dumped into a river in Barangay Pinagwarasan, Basud, Camarines Norte, on January 2, 2026.

Authorities have traced the apartment in Laguna where the woman found inside a sealed plastic storage box may have been killed before her body was transported from Laguna and dumped into a river in Barangay Pinagwarasan, Basud, Camarines Norte, on January 2, 2026.

Laguna apartment linked to body-in-box case found; victim’s live-in partner eyed as suspect

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Laguna apartment linked to body-in-box case found; victim’s live-in partner eyed as suspect

Dennis Datu,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 06, 2026 11:51 PM PHT

Read More:

murder case

storage box

Cabuyao

Laguna

Anelis Agocoy

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