In January 2019, the ordinary quiet of an Ormoc City apartment building was pierced by a grim discovery that would unravel a story of secret love, devastating betrayal, and a meticulously staged crime. It began with a foul odor emanating from a second-floor unit. A concerned neighbor, initially dismissing it as a dead animal, could no longer ignore the intensifying stench and alerted the landlord.

When repeated knocks went unanswered, the landlord used a master key to open the door, and they were met with a scene of absolute horror. The small apartment was in disarray, and in the middle of the living room lay the lifeless body of a woman. It was a crime that, at first glance, seemed like a simple, brutal robbery, but investigators would soon uncover a truth far more personal and heartbreaking.

The victim was quickly identified as Maribel Apostol, a 29-year-old woman from Baybay, Leyte, who had moved to Ormoc two years prior to work at a travel agency. To her colleagues and neighbors, Maribel was a quiet, reserved, and hardworking individual. She was rarely seen out, except for her daily commute to and from work, often walking with her head down as if to avoid drawing attention.

At her job, she was known as trustworthy and diligent, regularly sending money home to support her mother and two younger siblings. But beneath her simple exterior, some coworkers noticed a quiet sadness, a weight she seemed to carry.

The initial police theory of a robbery-homicide was based on the ransacked state of the apartment and the fact that Maribel’s wallet and cellphone were missing. However, one crucial detail didn’t fit: there were no signs of forced entry. This led investigators to a chilling conclusion—the person who committed this act was not a stranger. It was someone Maribel knew, someone she had willingly let into her home and her life.

As police delved deeper, a name began to surface: Ricky Bulaong, a 36-year-old security guard. The landlord and several tenants reported seeing a uniformed guard frequently visiting Maribel’s apartment, often arriving late at night and sometimes staying for days at a time.

To the outside world, they appeared to be a normal couple, seen eating together or shopping at a nearby store. But neighbors also recounted hearing loud arguments coming from the unit in the weeks leading up to the tragedy. No one intervened, assuming it was a typical lovers’ quarrel.

CCTV footage from a nearby store confirmed Ricky’s identity. The investigation took a dark turn when police discovered his background: Ricky Bulaong was a married man with a wife and two elementary school-aged children living in his hometown of Tacloban.

The clear picture of the situation began to form: Maribel, the quiet and dedicated woman, had unknowingly fallen into a two-year relationship with a man who was living a complete double life. The robbery theory was all but discarded; Ricky Bulaong became the primary person of interest.

The motive became painfully clear as the investigation progressed. Just days before her body was discovered, neighbors had heard a particularly violent argument. Police later learned the cause: Maribel had discovered the truth about Ricky’s family. For two years, she had believed she was the only woman in his life. The revelation that he had a wife and children shattered her world.

In the final weeks of her life, a heartbroken Maribel confided in a coworker, telling her how she had been deceived. She expressed her intention to end the relationship and even threatened to tell Ricky’s wife about their affair, not to cause trouble, but because she could not bear to be the reason for a broken family. This was a moral line she was unwilling to cross. But Ricky, terrified of being exposed, refused to let her go.

The evidence against him was mounting. CCTV footage captured him entering Maribel’s apartment around 9:00 PM the night before her body was found. The next morning, he was seen leaving alone, walking quickly, almost in a panic. He never returned.

Forensic experts found his fingerprints on the doorknob and other items in the apartment. Most damning of all, they found Ricky’s DNA under Maribel’s fingernails—a clear and tragic sign that she had fought back, scratching her attacker in her final, desperate moments. It became evident that the missing wallet and phone were a cold, calculated ruse to make the crime look like a robbery.

With an airtight case against him, police arrested Ricky Bulaong at his duty post. His colleagues were stunned as he was handcuffed and led away. Initially, Ricky vehemently denied everything, claiming he hadn’t seen Maribel in over a week. But his defense crumbled as investigators laid out the evidence: the fingerprints, the CCTV footage, the neighbor testimonies, and the DNA. Faced with the undeniable truth, his defiant posture collapsed. He broke down in tears and confessed.

According to his statement, he had gone to her apartment that night to argue. Maribel insisted that he leave her and return to his family, or she would expose their secret. For Ricky, this was an impossible ultimatum. In a fit of rage and fear of losing everything, he lost control.

He claimed he only meant to scare her, to show her he was in control. But in his violence, he went too far. When he realized she was no longer moving, he panicked. He took her valuables, ransacked the room, and fled, hoping to stage a robbery that would lead police down a false trail.

In 2022, Ricky Bulaong was convicted of qualified homicide and sentenced to reclusion perpetua, a prison term of at least 30 years. The justice system had delivered its verdict, but the tragedy left an even deeper wound. During the trial, Maribel’s mother shared a heartbreaking detail: Maribel had grown up with a deep hatred for infidelity, as her own father had once destroyed their family by having an affair.

It was a tragic irony that the very trap she despised was the one she unknowingly fell into, and the one that ultimately cost her her life. She had sought love and honesty, but what she found was a devastating betrayal that ended in the most brutal way imaginable. Justice was served for Maribel, but the scars left on two families serve as a chilling reminder that a life built on lies will inevitably collapse into ruin.