I. BAGUIO: THE TRAGEDY IN THE CORDILLERA

The city of Baguio, nestled in the Cordillera mountains of northern Luzon, was first inhabited by the indigenous Ibaloy and Kankanaey people.

Initially a pastureland for cattle, the area was largely ignored during the Spanish colonial era. However, the cool climate captivated the Americans, who developed it into a vacation spot.

In 1901, the American-led construction of Kennon Road began, utilizing Filipino laborers. The Philippine Commission later declared the area the Summer Capital on June 1, 1903.

Baguio also serves as the commercial hub of the Cordillera, where products from neighboring provinces are stored before distribution nationwide. Today’s story revolves around a woman whose body was found in a garage in Baguio City last year.

We revisit the painful demise of Juliet Bahar Hassim, better known as Shane Hassim. On the morning of August 30, 2022, the Baguio City police station received an emergency call.

The call reported the discovery of a woman’s body in a garage in Barangay Alfonso Tabora, Baguio City. Police immediately responded, finding the woman in a horrifying state.

“We received a call from a concern citizen reporting what appeared to be a deceased person in a driveway leading to a garage,” an officer stated. The victim’s entire body was covered in bruises, with wounds on her face.

Her white crop top was pulled up, she wore no lower garments, and one strap of her black bra was missing. Her mouth and hands were secured with duct tape, and a belt was wrapped around her neck.

Investigators also noted dental braces and a tattoo on her back reading “Shane Hassim.” Assuming this was the victim’s name, they searched social media and found a woman named Juliet Hassim with a matching tattoo.

They contacted her friends and relatives, eventually interviewing the victim’s twin sister. “She had colorful, artistic tattoos,” the sister confirmed. “We saw a tattoo on her back that read ‘Shane.’ We searched on Facebook and found a Juliet with the same tattoo.”

II. THE LURE AND THE VIOLENCE

The twin sister positively identified the victim as Juliet “Shane” Bahar Hassim (22), a resident of Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga. She revealed that Shane left Pampanga on August 27, 2022, to work as a waitress and entertainer at a bar along Marcos Highway in Baguio.

The twin was supposed to join Shane but could not, as she had to watch their house. On the morning of August 30, the twin was on her way to Baguio to join her sister but could not contact Shane, causing alarm.

She received a message from the police stating a woman was found in Tabora, inviting her to identify the victim. Upon seeing the photos, particularly the tattoo, she was shaken, though she initially hesitated due to the severity of the wounds and bruising on Shane’s face.

She immediately proceeded to the funeral parlor, where she positively identified her twin sister. The initial police investigation revealed that tenants heard a loud thud, as if someone had fallen from above, in the early morning of August 30.

This suggested the victim was likely thrown from an upper floor of the boarding house. The garage owner, Rodrigo Magcino (86), claimed he noticed nothing unusual when he returned home at 11 PM on August 29.

Investigators theorized that the body may have simply been dumped there to mislead the investigation. Police visited the bar where Shane worked, where colleagues confirmed seeing her last at 9:30 PM before she left for home.

Her colleagues told police that Shane was on her phone and mentioned meeting a man who promised her a payment of Php20,000. This corroborated a message Shane sent to her twin sister on the evening of August 29, asking for her opinion on whether she should meet the man.

The twin sister did not reply until the following morning. The taxi driver who drove Shane confirmed dropping her off in Barangay Alfonso Tabora after 10:30 PM.

He saw a man waiting for her there. The identity of this man was a mystery until a security guard from the area stepped forward.

III. THE SUSPECTS AND THE GRUESOME CONFESSION

The security guard confirmed seeing Shane with a man who was a tenant in Room 202: Renival Ponce. Renival Ponce immediately became a person of interest.

On September 5, 2022, armed with a search warrant, police entered Room 202 in Barangay Alfonso Tabora. Ponce was not there; the room was messy and cluttered.

During the search, police found torn pieces of duct tape consistent with those used on the victim. They also found the missing black bra strap from Shane’s clothing.

Due to the evidence, Renival Ponce was immediately deemed a suspect. The boarding house caretaker confirmed that the occupants of Room 202 left on August 30 and had not returned.

The autopsy results shocked the investigators: Shane Hassim passed away due to strangulation. The body also showed fractured pelvic bones, wounds on her right heel and left knee, and numerous bruises—but no signs of sexual assault.

Police appealed to the media and social media for information on Ponce’s whereabouts. On the night of September 7, 2022, police received a call: Ponce had voluntarily surrendered to the Manila Police District Homicide Section, accompanied by his live-in partner, due to overwhelming guilt.

Ponce was immediately transferred to the Baguio City Police Station 2, where he gave an extrajudicial confession in the presence of his lawyer. Ponce admitted meeting Shane Hassim on August 29, 2022, through a massage Facebook group.

They agreed on a price for a massage, and he instructed her to meet him. He met Shane downstairs and took her up to Room 202, where another man, Alias M&M (Ponce’s co-worker), was present.

IV. THE LETHAL RAGE AND THE MISSING ACCOMPLICE

Ponce claimed Shane was surprised to find another person in the room. Alias M&M offered Shane Php2,000, which infuriated her as it was not the agreed-upon amount.

Ponce claimed that M&M punched Shane in the stomach, causing her to writhe in pain. M&M then ordered Ponce to get something to tie her up. Ponce handed him the duct tape, which M&M used to secure Shane’s hands and mouth.

M&M then demanded Shane’s belt, wrapping it twice around her neck. He strangled Shane until she stopped moving.

Ponce claimed he was terrified, stating they had been consuming illegal substances for three days straight before meeting Shane. Seeing the victim lifeless, Ponce immediately fled the scene, leaving M&M behind.

Ponce claimed he was confused and did not know what to do due to the drugs. He went to his workplace in La Trinidad, Benguet, and stayed there until September 3 before leaving for Pasay City.

Ponce claimed M&M messaged him later, saying Hassim’s body had been found, but Ponce deleted the account. The extrajudicial confession was sworn before the Baguio City Prosecutor’s Office.

On September 9, 2022, Renival Ponce and Alias M&M were formally charged with Murder. Ponce is currently confined at the BJMP in Baguio, awaiting trial, while Alias M&M remains at large, and police are withholding his true identity to prevent obstruction of the ongoing investigation.

Shane was returned to her hometown in Pampanga for burial. Her family described Shane as quiet and helpful, noting she had two young children from two different partners.

She went to Baguio to work and support her children. Her family continues to demand justice, stating, “She left her children missing her. We will not stop until they are punished for what they did… just as they ended my daughter’s life, that is what I want for them.”

The case highlights the extreme violence and cold-bloodedness committed over a perceived insult about payment. The promise of money turned into a lethal trap, shattering a family’s hope and leaving a legacy of pain.