Teenage helper charged for Singaporean’s slay

MANILA, Philippines—The Quezon City Police District has charged an 18-year-old househelp for allegedly killing and robbing his Singaporean employer, who was found hacked to death in his house last month.

A charge of robbery with homicide was filed Tuesday in the city prosecutors’ office against Oreste Orejudos Jr., 18, prime suspect in the death of Peter Lee, 50, a Singaporean married to a compatriot in Barangay (village) Pinagkaisahan.

QCPD homicide section head Insp. Elmer Monsalve said his men tried to look for Orejudos at his family address at Doña Ana, Camarin, Caloocan City, but his father claimed he had not seen his son since the latter started working for Lee.

The older Orejudos also said his son could not be reached on his cell phone.

Lee died of a hack wound in the nape and his wallet and iPhone 4 were missing when the body was found by the family driver, Julio Cariño Jr., who had just returned together with Lee’s Singaporean wife from Dau, Pampanga.

According to Cariño, the suspect was nowhere to be found when they arrived and his belongings were all gone from his quarters.

The night before Lee’s death, the suspect allegedly asked for a cash advance from his employer but the latter refused.—Julie M. Aurelio