Scholar Murdered in Nueva Ecija; Relative Arrested

CABANATUAN CITY – Wesleyan University -Philippines (WU-P), one of the largest campuses in Cabanatuan City, denounced the murder on Sunday of one of their scholars at her home in the Nueva Ecija town of San Antonio. Another student, who reportedly discovered the lifeless remains of 21-year-old nursing student Ann Pauline Fajardo, was later apprehended and had confessed to killing her, police said. The suspect initially claimed that Fajardo had committed suicide at her residence in Barangay Sto. Cristo at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. “Upon arrival, the responding officers found the victim already lifeless, with the blanket still tied around her neck,” the police reported. Fajardo’s mobile phone, a P66,990.00 iPhone Plus, was missing. But using the phone’s tracking feature, the unit traced it back to the student who reported to the police regarding Fajardo’s death. The suspect eventually admitted to killing Fajardo, who was her relative, after she allegedly refused to lend him P5,000 at that same morning. “We condemn this heinous and unspeakable act in the strongest possible terms. Violence against any member of our community is an outrage to our shared humanity, and we grieve deeply for a bright future cut short so cruelly,” the WU-P said in a statement issued on Monday. WU-P described Fajardo as “a dedicated student, a cherished friend, and a promising future nurse whose passion, hard work, and kindness touched everyone around her.”