On May 20th, 2021, a cow herder in a remote area of Quezon City stumbled upon a horrific scene: the badly beaten body of a person, their face smashed beyond recognition. The only clues to their identity were two distinctive tattoos on the arms. This grim discovery was the final, tragic chapter in the life of Ebing Mayor, a 21-year-old transgender influencer, and the beginning of a shocking investigation that would expose a monstrous hate crime and a devastating betrayal by his closest friend.

Ebing Mayor was a beacon of positivity in his community. A proud transgender man with over 70,000 followers on TikTok, he was known for his friendly demeanor and hardworking spirit. He had quit his studies to support his family, taking on various jobs with a smile. To his mother, Cherry Tria, and his many friends, he was a loving soul who was well-liked by everyone he met.

On the night of May 17th, Ebing told his family he was going out for drinks with his childhood best friend, Zander “Dong” dela Cruz. It was the last time they would hear from him. When news of the unidentified body emerged three days later, it was Dong himself who, while standing in the crowd at the crime scene, approached police to identify the victim as Ebing Mayor.

His seemingly helpful act quickly drew suspicion. At the police station, Dong’s nervous behavior and inconsistent statements raised red flags. The final piece fell into place when Ebing’s father arrived and recognized Dong as the very friend his son had gone out with. Confronted, Dong broke down and confessed to his involvement in the crime, revealing a horrifying narrative of transphobic rage.

According to Dong’s confession, after he and Ebing dropped off a female friend, they met up with two of Dong’s acquaintances: Joel Loyola, a 30-year-old jobless man out on a plea bargain for a drug charge, and Richard Araza, a 34-year-old construction worker. The night took a dark turn when Joel Loyola discovered that Ebing was biologically female. Enraged, Joel began to viciously assault the unsuspecting Ebing.

Dong claimed that Joel pulled out a pistol and threatened to shoot him if he interfered, forcing him to participate in the horrific events that followed. He recounted how he was coerced at gunpoint to carry his friend’s unconscious body to a secluded field, and even to strike his friend with a rock. The confession detailed a prolonged and brutal assault, allegedly led by Joel, fueled by a hateful and violent reaction to Ebing’s gender identity. The final act of depravity involved ramming a wooden stick into the victim’s genitals with such force that it pierced through his body.

After Ebing was gone, the perpetrators stole his belongings and used his phone to send a fake text message to a friend to create a false timeline. The forensic report later confirmed the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the penetrating injury to his lower body.

The case brought back painful memories of the 2014 murder of transgender woman Jennifer Laude, where the killer used the controversial “trans panic” defense to receive a reduced sentence. It highlighted the ongoing struggle for justice and legal protection for the transgender community in the Philippines.

In the end, all three suspects—Zander “Dong” dela Cruz, Joel Loyola, and Richard Araza—were found guilty of rape with homicide. However, the sentence of 10.5 to 21.5 years in prison was met with public dismay, with many feeling it was shockingly lenient for a crime of such extreme and hateful brutality. The story of Ebing Mayor remains a tragic testament to the devastating consequences of prejudice and a painful reminder of a friendship that ended in the most unthinkable betrayal.