For four long and painful years, Michael Sayos believed his mother, Evelyn, had abandoned him. The story, as told by his older sister, Joanna, was that their mother had abruptly left their home in Dasmariñas, Cavite, for a new job and a new life in Singapore.

He would receive occasional, brief social media messages from her account, confirming she was busy but happy. He was hurt, confused, and forced to drop out of college to support himself, but he eventually accepted this painful reality.

The truth, however, was far more sinister and lay much closer to home. In June 2020, during a routine home renovation, a worker broke through a concrete slab in the backyard, uncovering a secret that had been buried for four years: the remains of his mother, Evelyn, hidden inside the family’s septic tank.

The story of Evelyn Sayos is a heartbreaking tale of a mother’s devotion met with the ultimate betrayal. A hardworking single mother, Evelyn had raised her two children, Joanna and Michael, on her own after her husband’s passing. She was, by all accounts, a dedicated and loving parent.

When her 18-year-old daughter, Joanna, became pregnant, Evelyn, though initially disappointed, embraced her new role as a grandmother. She opened her home to Joanna and her live-in partner, Ronald James Ruby, supporting them financially and emotionally and becoming a hands-on caregiver to their new baby boy.

But this act of generosity was allegedly repaid with a growing resentment. According to the suspects’ later confessions, Joanna and Ronald grew to despise Evelyn.

They saw her as a “bungangera” (a nagger), someone who constantly criticized them for the early pregnancy and Ronald’s inability to find a stable job. While Evelyn was sacrificing to support their new family, they were allegedly harboring a deep-seated anger that would curdle into a horrific and cold-blooded plan.

The opportunity to act on this plan came on August 15, 2016. Evelyn’s son, Michael, had told her he would be staying overnight at a classmate’s house to work on a thesis. With him gone, Joanna and Ronald were alone with their mother.

According to the chilling confession from Ronald, the plan was set in motion. Joanna allegedly lured her mother out of her room, and as Evelyn stepped into the hallway, Ronald, who had been hiding in a corner, ambushed her, striking her in the head with a hammer.

What followed was a cold and calculated cover-up. The couple concealed Evelyn’s body and, when Michael returned home the next evening, Joanna fed him the elaborate lie about Singapore. She claimed their mother had been picked up by old high school friends for a surprise job opportunity and had left in a hurry.

To maintain the deception, the couple would occasionally use Evelyn’s social media account to send messages to Michael, creating the illusion that she was alive and well, but simply too busy to maintain regular contact.

For four years, the terrible secret remained buried just feet from where the family lived. Michael, though harboring a deep sense of unease, had no reason to suspect the horrifying truth. He mourned the loss of his mother in his own way, believing she had chosen a new life over her family.

The lie was finally unearthed in June 2020. Michael, having saved enough money from his call center job, decided to renovate their family home, starting with the kitchen and the old septic tank in the backyard. As workers broke through the thick concrete slab that Ronald had poured years earlier, they discovered a bag containing Evelyn’s IDs and personal belongings.

Michael’s long-held suspicions came rushing back. He called the police, and as the rest of the concrete was broken away, the grim discovery of Evelyn’s remains was made.

Faced with the undeniable evidence, Joanna and Ronald were arrested. Their story of a mother who had left for Singapore was replaced by a chilling confession of a brutal and calculated betrayal. The case is a devastating look at a family destroyed from within, and a son who, for four years, lived on top of the very secret that had broken his heart.