By I. Inojales | 02:00 PM January 31, 2026
TAGBILARAN CITY — Police are still conducting a thorough investigation into the killing of a 38-year-old member of the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and more (LGBTQ+)
whose body was found in a rice field in Barangay Omjon, Valencia, Bohol.
Valencia Mayor Neil Balite said authorities received a report from Barangay Omjon Captain Calixto Cagatcagat after a farmer discovered a lifeless body lying in a rice field.
Police later identified the victim as Charity Albutra, also known as “Anot,” a single resident of the barangay.
Initial police examination showed wounds on the victim’s neck, believed to have been inflicted by a sharp object.
The Municipal Health Officer confirmed that the victim had been dead for more than eight hours at the time her body was discovered. The cause of death was determined to be hemorrhagic shock secondary to vascular injury from an open neck trauma.
Investigators learned that on the evening of January 29, the victim had been drinking with Alejandro Paluga Pahayac, 48, Antonio Tagaan, and another individual known only by the alias “Badon Dagang.”
The group reportedly started drinking at around 6 p.m. inside an unoccupied house owned by Badon.
Pahayac told police he left the group at around 8 p.m. to go home. Tagaan later said he also left shortly afterward, leaving the victim alone with Badon.
The following morning, after the body was discovered, authorities learned that Badon was no longer in Barangay Omjon and was reported to have boarded a vessel from Jagna bound for Cagayan de Oro.
Police said the investigation is ongoing as they work to identify suspects and establish accountability for the crime.
Local officials expressed grief over the incident, which disrupted the peace of the community, and reiterated their commitment to seek justice for the victim.
Authorities also urged barangay officials to strengthen monitoring and documentation of strangers entering or staying in their communities, whether on a temporary or permanent basis, to help ensure public safety.
Local members of the LGBTQ+ community in Valencia expressed deep sorrow over Albutra’s death and appealed to Mayor Balite for assistance in ensuring justice is served.
