A police officer assigned to the Bacolod City Police Office surrendered and confessed today, November 1, 2025, to the disappearance and killing of the female owner of a blood-stained Hyundai Accent found abandoned in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, last Wednesday, October 29.
The slain businesswoman was identified by police authorities here as Kristine Joy Dignadice, 42, of Victorias City, also in Negros Occidental.
The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR), in a statement, assured the public that there would be no cover-up in the ongoing investigation into the case of Dignadice’s killing, whose gray Hyundai Accent (FAD-8113) was found abandoned with bloodstains in Sitio So-ol, Barangay Gargato, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, on October 29.
Earlier today, November 1, the policeman tagged as the prime suspect voluntarily surrendered to PRO-NIR Regional Director Police Brigadier General Arnold Thomas C. Ibay at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr., the regional police headquarters in Bacolod City.
The police, however, were yet to reveal the motive behind the crime.
The suspect was assisted by legal counsel during the process and confessed his involvement in the disappearance and killing of the vehicle’s female owner and identified the location where the body was concealed, the police said.
As of Saturday afternoon, search and recovery operations were being conducted by the regional police’s Scene of Crime Operation (Soco) personnel and Special Investigation Team to recover the victim’s body.
Ibay stressed that the surrender of the suspect was a significant breakthrough, but also reaffirmed the PNP’s commitment to uphold integrity and accountability in handling the case.
‘There will be no cover-up. We will let the evidence speak for itself. The full force of the law will be applied regardless of who is involved. Justice will be served to the victim and her family,’ said Ibay.
He further ordered a parallel administrative investigation to ensure transparency and accountability within the organization.
‘We owe it to the public we serve to demonstrate that no one is above the law. We will make sure that this case is pursued with fairness, professionalism, and compassion for the victim’s family,’ the PRO-NIR director added.
The PRO-NIR said it would continue to coordinate with the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and other concerned units to ensure that all aspects of the investigation are handled thoroughly and objectively