BACOLOD City — A Bacolod City police staff sergeant assigned to Police Station 5 is under investigation after allegedly confessing to the disappearance and killing of a businesswoman from Victorias City, Negros Occidental.
The victim, Kristine Joy Dignadice, 42, went missing on October 29. She was the registered owner of a Hyundai Accent sedan, which was later found abandoned and blood-stained in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, on the same day.
The suspect voluntarily surrendered to Police Brigadier General Arnold Thomas Ibay, Regional Director of Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR), at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City on November 1.
Four days after her disappearance, Dignadice’s body was found in a sugarcane field on the boundary of Barangays Jorge Araneta and Alianza in Bago City. The discovery came after the suspect admitted to his police superiors that he had killed and dumped the victim’s body. Authorities said the victim suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of her neck, believed to have caused instant death.
National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) Commissioner Rafael Vicente R. Calinisan has ordered the Inspection, Monitoring and Investigation Service (IMIS) to conduct a motu proprio investigation into the case, noting that it involves an active member of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“The NAPOLCOM will ensure that due process is observed and that the erring police officer will be held fully accountable. The administrative case will proceed separately from any criminal proceedings filed before the court,” Calinisan said.
The motive behind the crime remains under investigation. Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) and the Special Investigation Team continue their work to recover any remaining evidence.
Ibay described the suspect’s surrender as a significant breakthrough, reaffirming the PNP’s commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability within its ranks.
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) strongly condemned the crime, expressing condolences to the victim’s family and emphasizing that no one is above the law. A BCPO statement reaffirmed the office’s commitment to upholding professionalism and cooperating with investigative bodies to ensure transparency and justice./PN
