The Silence of the Hardworking Single Mother

To those who did not know her, she might have been mistaken for being aloof—quiet, extremely reserved, and reluctant to speak to strangers. This is how friends described Claire Sepeda Geros. Despite her reserved nature, she was a loving mother, a dedicated single parent who would do anything for her only daughter.

The narrative of her family took a devastating turn in 2017 when she met a man in Iloilo. They began dating, and soon, Claire found out she was pregnant. The devastating problem: the man was married and had a family.

Because she loved him, she endured the difficult situation until the man eventually abandoned them, cutting off communication and financial support for the child. To provide for her daughter, Claire worked tirelessly.

Beyond being a licensed teacher, she was also a successful insurance agent, a part-time medical representative, a master tailor, and she even engaged in selling herbal supplements and face masks. Her life was defined by ceaseless work.

However, on October 26, 2021, Claire was found lifeless inside her car in Barangay Inangayan, Santa Barbara, Iloilo. Her body bore multiple stab wounds, and her neck was deeply slashed.

How did the single mother and entrepreneur Claire Sepeda Geros meet such a painful end, and who was the individual responsible for the fatal outcome?

The Abandoned Vehicle and the First Clues

Around 4:00 PM on October 26, 2021, the Santa Barbara Iloilo police received a call about a foul odor emanating from an abandoned vehicle. When they arrived at Barangay Inangayan, they found a gray Montero Sport parked by the roadside.

A resident reported that around 3:00 PM, he had approached the area to urinate when he smelled the odor. Peering inside the vehicle, he saw a person wrapped in a blanket, motionless. He immediately reported it to the Captain, who then called the police.

After securing the area, the police had to break the driver’s side window, releasing an even stronger, more pungent smell. They found a woman’s body on the back seat, wrapped in a blanket.

The victim was identified as 36-year-old Claire Sepeda Geros, based on ID cards found inside the car. Her identity was confirmed by her sister, who arrived at the scene. The grey Montero Sport was reported to be leased from former Iloilo Mayor Paul Peter Lopez.

The initial investigation by the SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operatives) noted a suspicious absence of evidence at the scene: there were no blood drops or splatters inside the car, nor any signs of struggle. Investigators concluded that the act of ultimate violence did not take place inside the vehicle.

They recovered two blood-stained pillows near a stream close to the area, which the family confirmed belonged to the victim, as did the blanket wrapped around her body. The investigation immediately shifted to the victim’s home.

Luminol Test and the Surveillance Trail

The investigation team proceeded to the victim’s residence in Deca Homes Subdivision, Pavia, Iloilo.

There, they found Claire’s 3-year-old daughter and her helper, Rodelyn Sumbong. Given the circumstances, the PNP (Philippine National Police) immediately formed a special investigation task group to focus on Claire’s case.

The autopsy revealed that Claire d*ied six hours after her last meal, placing the time of fatal assault between 11:00 PM and 12:00 midnight on October 24, 2021. Claire sustained deep stab and cut wounds, including two large cuts on her neck, five defensive wounds on her left arm, two on her right, and two wounds on her palms and thumbs. She also suffered bruising and contusions on her scalp and thighs.

The subsequent investigation collected footage from 15 CCTV cameras across Santa Barbara and Pavia. The footage from Claire’s neighborhood showed a vehicle arriving around 4:00 AM, a man alighting, and shortly thereafter, Claire’s car leaving Deca Homes around 4:20 AM.

The car exited through the unguarded rear section of the subdivision. Further CCTV footage showed the car stopping at the motor pool in Barangay Inangayan. In one angle, a motorcycle was seen arriving, blinking its lights, seemingly signaling the car.

Following this, Claire’s car drove off, followed by a white Pajero. The area where Claire’s car was later found had no CCTV coverage.

On October 29, 2021, the SOCO conducted an ocular investigation at Claire’s residence, suspecting the initial act of ultimate violence occurred there. They performed a luminol acid test.

The luminol, highly sensitive to blood traces, revealed pale blue color reactions on the floor, walls, bed, and even the daughter’s blanket, inside the comfort room, the dressing room, and the washing machine cover. The fatal assault had occurred inside the home.

The Helper’s Testimony and the Political Connection

Police immediately brought in the domestic helper, Rodelyn Sumbong, for questioning. Rodelyn stated she had been hired through a friend’s Facebook post and worked for a salary of P4,000 per month. She recounted that on October 24, she was picked up by Claire, along with a friend and Claire’s daughter.

After eating at a restaurant, Claire’s friend alighted, and they drove home. Rodelyn said Claire went straight to her room, and she herself went to rest. She woke up to running water and saw Claire feeding her daughter before going back to sleep.

She woke up again at 5:30 AM on October 25, started cleaning, and claimed she noticed nothing unusual, except that Claire’s car was gone and her room was empty. She noticed some blood on the bed but dismissed it as the menstrual cycle of her female employer. She was not alarmed by the absence, assuming Claire was working overtime.

However, investigators noted a significant discrepancy in Rodelyn’s communication logs: she called her boyfriend 20 times on October 25 and 18 times on October 26—a drastic increase. She also had small scratches on her arm.

Witness testimonies began to complicate the picture further. A friend of Claire’s recounted hearing Claire refuse a meeting with someone over the phone, and later, while dining out, noticing a woman staring intensely at Claire—a woman identified as Sally Sia Lopez, the wife of former Mayor Peter Paul Lopez.

Other friends and family members claimed that Claire had been in a relationship with the ex-mayor’s son, Christian Paul “Chad” Lopez. Claire reportedly admitted to them that the Lopez family disapproved of the relationship and doubted Chad was the father of her child. Furthermore, Claire confessed she had been “threatened” by Sally Lopez, making her fearful.

The Implication of the Lopez Family

Several other witnesses came forward. One claimed that around 4:20 AM on October 25, he saw two men carrying a heavy object from Claire’s house and loading it onto the back seat of the Montero Sport. A heavier woman with long hair closed the gate.

Through photo presentation, the man identified the woman closing the gate as Rodelyn Sumbong. The man driving the Montero was identified as Raffy Sioso and the other man as Gardo Ibrahim.

Both Sioso and Ibrahim were identified as former personal bodyguards and drivers for the Lopez couple during the ex-mayor’s term. The couple confirmed hiring them during the election but claimed they lost contact afterward.

Another witness testified that he saw a woman and a man exit a Pajero parked near the motor pool—the same area where Claire’s car was found.

He positively identified the two individuals as Sally Sia Lopez and Peter Paul Lopez. He later identified two other men in a red car as Felix Paul Lopez and Carlos Paul Lopez.

Assisted by the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), police conducted a child examination on Claire’s daughter.

When shown pictures of Raffy Sioso and Paul Peter Lopez, the child said the word “bad.” When shown a picture of Sally Aleja Lopez, the child trembled and seemed terrified.

After nearly two months, hindered by the lack of physical evidence linking the family, the special investigation task group finally filed charges on January 5, 2022, against multiple suspects, with jealousy being cited as the main motive, along with debt and business rivalry.

The Legal Counterattack and Partial Justice

The prosecution’s narrative centered on a carefully planned plot motivated by jealousy over the forbidden relationship with Chad Lopez.

However, on January 7, 2022, the Lopez family vehemently denied all allegations, claiming they only knew Claire because she bought their vehicle and denied owning a white Pajero.

They presented alibis, photos, and videos to prove they were in Capiz attending a wedding when the fatal assault occurred. They also offered to submit to DNA analysis to prove Chad was not the father of the child.

The legal battle escalated when the Lopez family filed perjury charges against the witnesses who implicated them, including Claire’s father, two siblings, and brother-in-law, claiming they were maliciously trying to link Chad and Claire.

On April 30, 2022, the Iloilo provincial prosecutor’s office dismissed the case against the Lopez family due to a lack of sufficient evidence. However, warrants were issued for the arrests of Raffy Sioso, Gardo Ibrahim, and Rodelyn Sumbong.

Rodelyn Sumbong and Raffy Sioso eventually surrendered. They pleaded not guilty to the charges. Gardo Ibrahim remains at large. The case is still ongoing in the lower courts.

Claire was laid to rest in her hometown in Guimaras. Her family and friends continue to hope for justice. Claire is survived by her 3-year-old daughter, who now grows up without the loving guidance of her mother.