Is the Chiong Sisters a Double No Body Murder Case?

Pinoy History Facebook Page

July 16, 1997, was the day when the presumed deceased Chiong sisters, Marijoy Jimenea Chiong and Jacqueline Jimenea Chiong, went missing. July 18, two days later, a body was found and some believe it was Marijoy. I for one believe that the body found in Tan-awan, Carcar, belonged to Marijoy, since nobody came forward to claim the body. I still think it was a reckless move to have the body cremated sometime after the documentary Give Up Tomorrow came out (read the review here). I refuse to believe what Enrique Uy, the father of the two suspects, James Andrew and James Anthony, said that the Chiong mother was able to talk to her daughter on the phone. If that was a daughter then did the other children go to Canada? Take note that before the crime happened, the youngest, Debbie Jane Chiong-Sia, was an elementary school student in Philippine Christian Gospel School (PCGS).

I, at first, believed what Enrique said. When I told someone about it, she just said, "That's preposterous." I said, "There was no body found." "So? Some people die in a crime and their bodies are never recovered." Then I remembered the case of the late cult leader Adolfo Constanzo. I remember the documentary mentioned some people went missing and later, the sacrificial places of the Matamoros Cult (run by Constanzo) were full of what was suspected. Human body parts are there left and right. One of the victims, later identified as Mark Kilroy, his brain was found in that cauldron. Many people went missing in Mexico. I even remembered the Elsa Castillo Story where a woman was chopped up before her body was disposed of.

From BuzzFeed News, I ended up finding about seven murder cases where the body was never found. This would probably explain a lot of stuff. These cases happened before Jacqueline's body, which was never recovered, would join the list:

Helle Crafts: The famous wood chipper killing of Helle Crafts by her husband, Richard, was the first murder conviction without a victim’s body in Connecticut state history. Evidence showed that before Helle disappeared on Nov. 18, 1986, Richard bought a freezer and a chainsaw and rented a wood chipper and a truck; authorities believe he froze his wife’s body, sawed it into pieces, and ran the remains through the wood chipper. Among piles of wood chips in various locations, police found pieces of bone and tissue, a fingernail, an envelope with Helle’s name, and crowns of her teeth. The Crafts case was the subject of the very first episode of Forensic Files in 1996 and inspired a famous scene in Fargo, filmmaker Ethan Coen confirmed to HuffPost.

Evelyn Throsby Scott: Leonard Ewing Scott was the first person in the US convicted of a “no body” murder. His wife, Evelyn, was last seen at their Bel-Air, California, home in 1955. Only her dentures and glasses were found, near the backyard incinerator where a neighbor had seen Leonard stoking a fire after her disappearance. The smell from that fire was so odious that neighbors called the police to complain about it, but it wasn’t until questions were raised about Leonard spending his wife’s money that police began investigating her disappearance. He was convicted in 1957; decades later, after he was freed, he made a dubious confession — but her body was never found.

Another quote worth saying from BuzzFeed is this:

As a judge in 1977 pointed out, just because a body is never found doesn’t mean a crime didn’t take place.

What if the body in Tan-awan, Carcar, wasn't Marijoy? Would that prove Marijoy is still alive?

Forensic experts went to court to prove the body wasn't Marijoy. I think Miguel Syjuco made a slip of the tongue and was supposed to say, "We wanted to make sure that the body was Marijoy." My defense as a non-expert is simply rooted in the fact that nobody came to claim the body, even when the remains were later cremated. It's sad really because the body could've proven the innocence of Francisco Juan "Paco" G. Larrañaga. The body's fingerprints matched that of Marijoy's voter's ID.

Let's just assume that the body was not Marijoy's. If so, I could suspect that the real murderers may have killed a random woman, dressed her up in the same outfit as Marijoy, and thrown it into Carcar as a decoy. It could be some random victim of a rape and someone out there's missing a daughter. The whole case would be shaky if the body wasn't Marijoy because the wrong people were caught. That means the Chiong family took the wrong body.

Whoever did the crime must've done a spotless job. If the body in Carcar wasn't Marijoy then the bodies were disposed of in such a way. I did watch a fictional crime drama where it's mentioned bodies can be dissolved. In the example I just shared, the bodies may have been either burned or chipped to pieces. Some have even cut them up and destroyed the evidence in many locations. It's possible that both bodies, if ever the body wasn't Marijoy, may have suffered that same fate. Maybe, they're in the bottom of the ocean and have been decomposed by now.

No, the girls below are not the same people above.

Besides, the "evidence" of "Marijoy" and "Jacqueline" being alive is moot. A closer look will make one realize that Jacqueline and Debbie have different chin structures. Also, Amelie Arquilliano-Chiong is the wife of their brother Bruce Jimenea Chiong. It's a good thing that certain people who knew Amelie are rightfully defending her. A closer analysis (again) would reveal that Amelie may have resemblances to Marijoy but she's not Marijoy. There are many doppelgangers left and right.

For example, the late Jesse Robredo has a lookalike named Elmer Uy. There was even a young man who could easily be mistaken as a missing son of Atty. Maria Leonor Robredo. Amelie may look like Marijoy but she was a student in St. Theresa's College (STC) for a very long time. A simple trip to STC will disprove the whole claim. I could say, "Are you sure she's Marijoy? Why not ask the STC staff for the existence of Amelie?" The same can go for a simple trip to PCGS will prove that Debbie was a student there for some time and she's not Jacqueline.

Also, if they're really in Canada, where are the records of the Bureau of Immigration? Their names are so common that it may be another person with the name same and surname. The middle initial of that Jacqueline Chiong may be entirely different. However, I doubt that even Canada has a record of them entering the country. The record of their older brother Bruce and their sister-in-law would be there. That's why I refuse to believe in the rumor that one or both are in Canada.

It still continues to be a mystery. If DNA testing had been done years ago, maybe one could eventually conclude that the bodies were disposed of. Sadly, DNA testing was looked down on even if it's been proven to be a lifesaver. Do you think Hubert Jeffry Webb would've requested a DNA test if he really raped the late Carmela Vizconde? I don't think so since Hubert knew he was innocent. Judge Amelita G. Tolentino turned it down which is a very bad move.

I still believe that the body was Marijoy's. It's probably that Jacqueline's body was so properly disposed of. Maybe, the account that Jacqueline was seen running away from an unidentified vehicle with loud music may provide a clue. Maybe, Jacqueline made it that far before the real murderers ended her life and disposed of the body more effectively. For Marijoy, it seemed that it was a hurriedly dug grave so it was easier to find. One body was unsuccessfully gotten rid of while the other was. But if the body wasn't Marijoy then both bodies were successfully gotten rid of.

[OPINION] Why Do Some Filipino Boomers (Some Are EVEN Fact-Checkers) Insist that the Marcos Years Were Under a "Parliamentary System"

This is a screenshot I got on Facebook. The Tweet is courtesy of Raissa Espinosa-Robles, who I hear is a marites or a gossiper. I'm not denying that there are some truths in what she said. It's true that the Marcos Years have their well-documented human rights abuses. However, Mrs. Robles still continues to insist in the myth of a parliamentary system under Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.'s regime. It's not just Mrs. Robles but also some Filipino boomers who keep saying, "Are you crazy? We had a parliamentary system under Marcos." I could show them some evidence like Marcos' severe lack of legitimacy to disprove the parliamentary systme. I even wrote about the snap elections because Marcos was a president with powers (read here ). Under a parliamentary system, the president is purely ceremonial. The president is just a door opener and credentials receiver! Benigno Simeon A. Aquino Jr. and Salvador "Doy" Laurel both challenged the legitimacy of Marcos...

The 1986 Snap Elections Would Also Disprove the Myth of the "Marcos Parliament"

Anti-charter change proponents love to use Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. among their reasons, to defend their stand. The argument is that "charter change must be evil" because Marcos used it--a fallacy of Guilt by Association . Please, even Atty. Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo's supporter Andrew James Masigan supports charter change! Now, we must look at Marcos and remember another significant event. It's the 1986 snap elections and why it's also proof that we never had a parliamentary form of government. February 7, 1986, was when Marcos declared snap elections. Two years before the snap election, Marcos even declared that the Philippines was never a parliamentary government under him : The adoption of certain aspects of a parliamentary system in the amended Constitution does not alter its essentially presidential character . Article VII on the Presidency starts with this provision: ‘the President shall be the Head of State and Chief Executive of the Republic of the Ph...

The Late Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino's Chinese New Year Proclamation

It's disheartening that the Facebook page Tuloy Lang Tayo (which fortunately only has 358 followers) said that Chinese New Year should be discredited. The page is also supportive of Atty. Maria Leonor "Leni" S. Gerona-Robredo. Does the owner of the page even know that the late Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" C. Aquino was the person who declared Chinese New Year, a holiday? The Asia Society gives this detail on Noynoy's declaration: It was the very first time that the Chinese New Year was celebrated in the Philippines as a special non-working holiday which gave the opportunity to both Chinese-Filipinos and Filipinos in the country to enjoy the celebration. This became possible because of the Proclamation declared by President Benigno S. Aquino III , stating that this "is a manifestation of our solidarity with our Chinese-Filipino brethren who have been part of our lives in many respects as a country and as a people." Further details from Asia Society als...

Real Talk: Chinese Filipinos ARE Still Filipinos

It's the Chinese New Year once again. Some ignorant people have their ill feelings towards Chinese Filipinos, never mind the long history of Chinese immigrants who have become Filipinos. A simple classroom history lesson to a Google search, will tell us what it meant to be a Filipino. What does it mean to be a Filipino? It's often said that Filipino is more of a nationality than a race. Here's the definition of what it means to be a Filipino: 1 : a native of the Philippine Islands 2 : a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines 3 : the Tagalog-based official language of the Republic of the Philippines Filipino adjective According to the current constitution, these define what makes one a Filipino: Section 1. The following are citizens of the Philippines: [1] Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this Constitution; [2] Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines; [3] Those born before January 17, 1973, of Fili...

The "Star Witness" Davidson Rusia

It's Time to Free Paco Now Comparing one's perspective when one was in high school vs. the present can be a daunting thing. For example, I could get told that, "Maybe the person wants to be friends with you already. Maybe he realized that you were only teenagers and your fight was nothing more than a childish quarrel." As a 13-year-old who got into the case--I once admired what Davidson Rusia did. However, after hearing that Paco Larrañaga was innocent--I was really shocked. Yes, Paco was really in Manila when the crime happened (read here ). Why was David even allowed to testify when he wasn't even qualified? That's what the documentary Give Up Tomorrow highlighted. Atty. Florencio Villarin, who may be retired now due to his advanced age, also stated that in Case Unclosed. A lot of people were interested in what he had to say. At first, I thought Paco was wrongly tagged along with guilty people. However, what Solita Collas-Monsod said in Give Up Tomorrow , ...

Learn the Facts, Not Gossip, from Reading Lee Kuan Yew's "From Third World to First"

The Straits Times I could remember ordering the book From Third World to First ( sometime after electricity and Internet connection got restored) in January. I wanted a copy of the book but it's that hard to secure. So, I used Shoppee to order the book shipped from Indonesia . There's so much misinformation that I read on Facebook about Singapore. No, I'm not just talking about using the late Flor Contemplacion as an excuse. Instead, it's all about Singapore's development. I felt that my best "Christmas Gift" (it was bought with my savings, not given) was having a copy of this book. It was written by none other than the great statesman, the late Lee Kuan Yew, the father of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. There are a lot of misconceptions about Singapore's progress. Some people have written on Facebook gossip about Singapore's progress. These are the following gossips I could read on Facebook such as: Singapore only opened to foreign di...

Indigenous Dance in Dayuan District, Taiwan

In the quest to know more about Southeast Asia's indigenous people--Taiwan can become a hit destination. This would look like a group of Filipino indigenous dancers but they're from Taiwan. This long dance number may show how the Taiwanese government may have been treating indigenous tribes better than the Philippines. One article I wrote was about how some Filipino natives now have to travel to Taiwan to learn indigenous weaving . Just watching this video makes me think of what the Inquirer cited about Taiwanese indigenous people: TAIPEI—In communities of the indigenous Amis tribe across Taiwan, locals say lima for five, pito for seven and mata for eye, just like Filipinos . In southern Taiwan’s Alishan mountain, the Tsou tribe calls the community’s meeting hut a kuba, strikingly similar in design to the Philippines’ kubo . Whether in language, architecture or way of life, links among indigenous peoples of the Philippines and Taiwan are undeniable, with...

Why I Think Banning the Mention of Hitler on Facebook is STUPID

Getty Images It's crazy how reporting a comment with the word "Hitler" can get anyone banned. For example, this is what I found on Quora : They should be allowed. there are quotes of his that are not in praise of hitler but showing how he thought so that people are critical of their current leaders . For example, here’s a quote by him “ How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think.” This is a perfect example of why Hitler quotes should be allowed; to show how dictators think and how people should be critical. Yes, he started a giant war and murdered people but censoring what he said will only help the next dictator start more wars and murder more people because people forgot about Hitler . This is why the First Amendment is so important: it’s about communication and freedom so that we all make better decisions in the future. I just told someone that Adolf Hitler seized the means of production and I got a strike. Like what? I wonder what ...

The Paternity of Sergio Osmeña Sr.

More than 10 years ago while I was a college student, I remembered one of the topics raised was who in the world was the father of the late Sergio Osmeña Sr.? I remembered my Humanities subject while I studied at the University of San Carlos (USC) during my summer classes. I immediately took summer classes after I finished my associate's degree and proceeded to take my bachelor's degree in business administration. We had a field trip at Casa Gorordo in Cebu where one of the curators said, "Just who was his father?" There was a wild guess it was the late Pedro Lee Singson Gotiaoco. The Freeman I heard from someone, back in college, that neither Tomas Osmeña nor the late John Gokongwei Jr. admits to being related to each other. Gokongwei Jr. is a great-grandson of Gotiaoco. A Sunstar article about Juana Osmeña mentions this one about the past 145 years ago which may verify their mutual claims: SCIENCE has settled almost a century-and-a-half-old mystery -- history and g...

The Chiong Sisters' "Still Alive" Conspiracy Theory Was Around Last 2005?

No, the girls below are not the same people above. Granted, I never saw Give Up Tomorrow nor realize that Juan Francisco G. Larrañaga aka Paco was innocent until 2018. I was shocked to realize, from a friend, that he was with Paco on the night of the crime. From the New Scientist website, it talks about how innocents die without DNA tests . Hubert Jeffry P. Webb's life was wasted because of one foolish judge's decision not to grant a DNA test of the semen sample found in the late Carmela Vizconde's body. Here's a very interesting excerpt that points out the conspiracy theory that either one (or both) of the Chiong sisters may still be alive: Conspiracy theories surround the case. A policeman who worked on the case said last week he thought Larrañaga was innocent. Only one body was found, which was identified as Marijoy’s, but there are serious doubts about whether it is in fact her – even from the original trial judge . What’s more, there are rumours that one or both s...

A Business Graduate's Random Blog on History and Gossip

Search This Blog