The Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered an immediate manhunt for those involved in the killing of Senior Master Sergeant Diane Marie Mollenido and her eight-year-old son, including a car dealer who recently conducted a transaction with Mollenido, considered a person of interest in the case.

The directive came after the bodies of Mollenido and her son were discovered in separate locations—Mollenido’s body in Bulacan and her son’s in Tarlac. Authorities reported that the child’s body was wrapped in plastic, wearing the jacket last seen on him when he disappeared.

Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) autopsy indicated suffocation as the cause of death, with tape tightly bound over the child’s face.

Additional information from the PNP confirmed that the child’s body was wrapped in plastic and garbage materials, according to SPD spokesperson P/Lt. Margaret Panaga, highlighting the cruelty of the crime.

The police continue to investigate all possible motives in the case, including personal and familial angles. Mollenido and her son were last seen on January 16 while heading to a car sales agent related to her family.

Authorities are also considering Mollenido’s estranged husband, Senior M/Sgt. John Mollenido, a fellow police officer, is a person of interest.

Authorities are urging anyone with information about the whereabouts of the suspects, including the car dealer, to come forward immediately, as the investigation remains ongoing. The PNP emphasized that justice will be pursued rigorously for both the slain officer and her young son.