BATAAN, Philippines — The brutal killing of a household helper in Samal, Bataan has shocked the community after her body was discovered stuffed inside a garbage bag and carton at her residence in Barangay Gugo on January 13. The victim was identified as 36-year-old Jennylyn Santiago, whose sister, Rosejean Mendoza, sought the help of Raffy Tulfo in Action (RTIA) to demand justice.

According to Mendoza, Jennylyn’s estranged husband, Renato Santiago, a security guard in Pampanga, is the primary suspect in the crime. The couple had long been separated, but Renato allegedly wanted to reconcile. Jennylyn refused, saying they had already moved on with separate lives.

Patrolman Joshua Bamba of the Samal Municipal Police Station told RTIA that the gruesome incident occurred on January 10. “Pinuluputan daw ng cable wire ang leeg ni Jennylyn at saka binusalan ng dalawang medyas sa bibig,” Bamba said. Investigators also obtained eyewitness accounts from two of Jennylyn’s nephews, who confirmed seeing Renato return to her house on the day of the killing.

Bamba added that Renato may have been triggered after seeing Jennylyn livestreaming on Facebook while cleaning her yard on January 13. Police believe jealousy was the motive, as Renato allegedly wanted to rekindle their relationship but Jennylyn refused.

Despite follow-up operations, Renato remains at large. On January 26, he was formally charged with parricide. Authorities continue to appeal to the public for information on his whereabouts.

Senator Raffy Tulfo vowed to extend assistance to Jennylyn’s surviving 12-year-old child. He said RTIA will coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to provide intervention and support. “Kaya nanawagan si Sen. Tulfo sa sinumang makakita o may impormasyon sa kinaroroonan ni Renato ay mangyaring ipagbigay-alam lamang ito sa kapulisan o sa RTIA,” the program stated.

The case has drawn widespread attention on social media, with netizens expressing outrage over the crime and calling for swift justice. Police continue to investigate while the community mourns the loss of Jennylyn, remembered as a hardworking kasambahay whose life was cut short by violence. 

Refusal Is Not a Provocation

This killing was not about love, jealousy, or reconciliation. It was about a woman exercising her right to say no. Refusal is not violence. Rejection is not cruelty. Yet too often, a woman’s autonomy is treated as defiance that must be punished.

Calling this a “crime of passion” softens what it truly is. A deliberate act rooted in entitlement, control, and the belief that leaving ends obedience, not ownership. Separation should mean safety, not escalation.

When women are murdered for choosing their own lives, society must confront a hard truth. If saying no still carries a death risk, how protected is consent in this country, and how serious are we about enforcing it before refusal turns fatal?

Image from RTIA Facebook