The narrative of the Filipino single mother is often one of relentless hard work, resilience, and extraordinary sacrifice.

A report released by the World Health Organization estimated approximately 15 million single parents in the Philippines, with women constituting a staggering 95 percent of that number.

While legislation like R.A. 1861 aims to support this demographic, the daily reality for millions, struggling to balance work, childcare, and household responsibilities, remains economically precarious.

For many, economic stability is an elusive dream, with few having the capacity to save for the future.

Christine Joy Degnadisi, born on February 12, 1982, and raised in Negros Occidental, was one of these driven women. Known to her friends and family by the nickname “Lotlot,” she was widely described as resourceful and determined.

As a single mother, she was known to do anything necessary to shield her only son, a 10-year-old boy, from experiencing hardship. Christine, a nurse by profession, had built a reputation among her peers as a trustworthy confidante who offered help without judgment.

Her family ties remained strong, despite the distance. Her brother, Salvador, shared that even when he was in Bacolod City, they spoke on the phone daily.

Their conversations often revolved around her son and, occasionally, the immense pressure she faced trying to make ends meet as a single parent.

Christine drew significant strength from her close friends and was an active, visible presence at her son’s school, participating in various activities and programs.

Beyond her professional background, Christine was an online entrepreneur, selling beauty products. Although her business was initially slow to grow, she persevered, driven by the increasing cost of living and the rising needs of her son. Her persistence paid off.

Her customer base expanded, allowing her to not only cover their daily necessities but also to start saving for the future. The success of her business was evident when she managed to purchase a car, a valuable asset she used to drive her son to and from school.

At 42, Christine was an inspiration to those around her, admired for her ability to successfully raise her son alone. She was not known to be possessive of money and was willing to lend to those who approached her. She never appeared to have a steady boyfriend, as she prioritized focusing solely on raising her son. To her siblings, Christine’s life was settled and successful.

That seemingly stable life was violently upended on October 29 of this year. Christine’s friends and family grew concerned when they could not reach her.

Her brother, Salvador, who was in Bacolod City at the time, immediately became worried. It was unlike Christine to vanish without warning.

He was certain she could reply, as she typically carried three cellphones with her whenever she went out. When more than 24 hours passed without contact, the family and friends approached the authorities.

They also took to social media, using various platforms to appeal to the public for any information. They posted Christine’s phone numbers, along with the make, model, and plate number (FAD8113) of her gray Hyundai Accent, pleading with anyone who owned a security camera to check their footage.

As the posts went viral, repeatedly shared by the public, the family held onto hope.

However, the subsequent social media posts by Christine’s friends were soon filled with deep grief and mournful tributes to her kindness, signaling a tragic conclusion: Christine was not coming home alive.

News quickly spread that she had been murdered, stunning the community.

While the Degnadisi family decided to withhold information from the public as they cooperated with the authorities, details of the crime inevitably leaked out.

Messages of condolences poured in from her former school, her colleagues, and the parents at her son’s school. Eventually, unsettling photographs related to her death began to circulate online.

According to initial reports, Christine’s missing gray Hyundai Accent with plate number FAD8113 was discovered abandoned at Sitio Suol, Barangay Gargato, in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, at approximately 3:57 in the afternoon.

A local resident grew suspicious upon seeing a car parked and left unattended near a sugarcane plantation, an unusual sight in the area.

When he approached the vehicle, he noticed what appeared to be dark stains on the driver and passenger seats. Fearing the stains were blood, he quickly contacted the nearest police precinct.

Police arrived quickly, finding a crowd of onlookers already gathering. As they moved closer to the vehicle, they noted the car’s windshield was shattered.

Upon peering inside, the officers immediately called for backup and a Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) team, securing the area as a crime scene. The preliminary police report confirmed the dark stains were indeed human blood. The police opened a homicide case and were directed by locals to the owner of the sugarcane plantation, Gabriel Yulo.

Investigators, hoping to glean information from Yulo, were disappointed when he claimed he knew nothing about the incident and that it was the first time he had seen the car. Unfortunately, the section of his land where the car was found did not have any security cameras.

With the plate number intact, the police quickly contacted the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to trace the vehicle’s owner.

The LTO identified the registered owner as Edith Picara, a 70-year-old, but further investigation revealed she had sold the car in June of that year.

The new owner was confirmed to be Christine Joy Degnadisi, the missing person. The authorities immediately updated the Degnadisi family on the progress, although the family remained distressed that Christine herself was still missing.

The SOCO team recovered several pieces of evidence from inside the car, including a black t-shirt and a watch, which were confirmed by Christine’s acquaintances, Joshua Salvador and Mary Grace Arsenas, to belong to the victim.

As the search for the missing businesswoman continued, Christine’s brother, Salvador, who had traveled to Victorias City to assist, suggested that the disappearance might be linked to money.

He recalled Christine mentioning in a phone conversation that she had lent P120,000 to an unnamed person. This tip was difficult for the police to follow up on, as Christine had not shared the identity of the borrower with her brother.

The search by the authorities and the Degnadisi family finally concluded when a man voluntarily surrendered to the police, confessing that he had killed Christine.

To prove his culpability, the man led authorities to a sugarcane field in Barangay Don Jorge Araneta in Bago City, only a 30-minute drive from where the car was found. Despite the thick undergrowth, the man guided the authorities directly to the spot. As they pushed through the cane, a strong, foul odor grew intense.

The body of a woman was discovered. The police report indicated the body was naked, with the legs spread, initially suggesting the victim might have been sexually assaulted. The suspect was immediately taken into custody, and the remains were sent to the medical examiner for autopsy.

Despite the body being in an advanced state of decomposition, Christine’s family sadly confirmed the remains were those of their 42-year-old loved one.

Due to the high-profile nature of the case, local politicians urged the authorities to expedite the investigation. Less than four hours later, the autopsy report was released. The forensic expert found no lacerations on the victim’s private parts, concluding that despite the positioning of the body, Christine was not sexually assaulted.

The killer had deliberately attempted to mislead investigators and frame the crime as a sexual assault. The medical examiner determined the cause of death was a single gunshot wound. The bullet first struck the victim’s right breast, and upon exiting, hit her neck, resulting in immediate death.

As this information quickly spread, public sympathy poured out for the victim’s grieving family, yet the mystery of who could commit such a heinous crime against the kind-hearted Christine remained.

After the body was released from the morgue, the Degnadisi family immediately began arranging funeral services. Simultaneously, Christine’s siblings filed a murder case against the suspect at the prosecutor’s office.

To address the public’s numerous questions, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) organized a press briefing, where they were joined by the victim’s two siblings. The commission detailed the results of the investigation and the victim’s family provided crucial context.

According to the investigation, Christine left her home at 5:00 AM on October 29. Her car was caught on CCTV passing through Barangay Granada, Bacolod City, at 6:20 AM, with the windshield intact.

Three hours later, the car was again seen in front of the Public Plaza, but this time, the windshield was damaged. At 10:54 AM, the car was again spotted on CCTV in Sitio Bukar, before turning onto the road leading to Barangay Gargato, where it was eventually found abandoned.

A tricycle driver provided a vital witness account, stating that he saw a man driving the car at 11:00 AM. The man, estimated to be in his 40s, was wearing a black hoodie jacket.

At 11:25 AM, the witness saw the same man boarding a bus bound for Bacolod City. The man was identified as Enrique Gonzalado Jr., a Police Staff Sergeant.

Christine’s siblings became emotional during the press briefing. They expressed their shock and deep sense of betrayal, stating they had welcomed the killer into their home and even offered him coffee, only to discover he was the murderer.

The siblings revealed that on October 30, the second day of Christine’s disappearance, Gonzalado showed up at their house, admitting that he had been in a three-year relationship with Christine.

He claimed he regretted not accompanying Christine on her errands on the morning of October 29. The siblings stated that this was the first time they had met Gonzalado, as Christine had never discussed her love life with them. They never knew their sister had a boyfriend.

The family welcomed the police officer into their home. They were later able to convince him to have his photograph taken, which they promptly sent to investigators. The photograph was positively identified by the tricycle driver as the man he saw abandoning the car and boarding the bus.

In the presence of authorities and his lawyer, Gonzalado confessed to the extramarital relationship with Christine, admitting that despite their issues, they always managed to resolve their differences.

He stated that they had met on the day she disappeared, and what was supposed to be a romantic encounter turned into a heated argument.

In the throes of their emotion, Gonzalado claimed they struggled over his firearm, and it accidentally went off.

He maintained that the shooting was accidental and that he never intended to commit murder. In a panic, he said he staged the crime scene to look like a sexual assault before abandoning the car.

The Degnadisi family and the authorities immediately questioned Gonzalado’s claim of an accidental shooting.

If it were truly an accident, they argued, why did he not rush Christine to the hospital? The victim’s siblings also expressed disbelief that their sister was ever in a relationship with the suspect.

The accidental firing alibi is legally weak, as any private citizen or, more pointedly, a police officer with training, is expected to adhere to basic firearm safety protocols, such as keeping the safety lock on when the weapon is not in immediate use.

The claim reflects poorly on Gonzalado’s professional training and further undermines the credibility of his defense.

Gonzalado now faces charges of murder, along with administrative charges, as he was an active police officer at the time of the crime.

Under the advice of his lawyer, he has become less cooperative with providing information, refusing to disclose the whereabouts of Christine’s three cellphones or the real reason behind their fatal argument.

Meanwhile, speculation on the internet suggests that Christine may have been an ‘other woman’ and that the motive for the murder might be linked to her wanting to end the relationship or perhaps threatening to expose their affair to Gonzalado’s legal wife.

Whatever the true motive, the tragedy of Christine Joy Degnadisi serves as a grim reminder of the profound dangers that can arise from hidden affairs and the abuse of power.

As of this reporting, Gonzalado has been relieved of his post and is currently detained by the CIDG while awaiting trial.