The chilling tale of a crime rooted in forbidden passion, betrayal, and a devastating mistake has sent shockwaves through the community and dominated social media headlines. At the heart of this tragedy is the victim, a compassionate single mother and entrepreneur, and the perpetrator: a serving police officer—a man whose solemn oath was to uphold the law and protect the people, yet who ultimately became a lethal violator of that trust.
A Life Dedicated to Service and Family
The victim, Kristine Joy Dignadice, a 42-year-old resident of Victorias City, was by all accounts a pillar of strength and kindness. A registered nurse by profession, she had previously served in a hospital, even dedicating her time during the challenging years of the pandemic. Later, Kristine shifted her career focus, successfully transitioning into business as a freelance cosmetics agent. Those who knew her described her as kind-hearted, cheerful, easygoing, and humble. She was a respected and generous neighbor, known to be actively involved and having no record of conflict within her barangay.
Kristine’s true devotion, however, lay with her family, particularly her young son, born in 2005. Though her first significant relationship ended, she faced the world as a resilient single mother, drawing strength from the responsibility of raising her child. Every effort, every success—including the purchase of her own Hyundai Accent—was centered on providing a secure and promising future for her son and helping her extended family, including a nephew whose education she supported. This car, a symbol of her hard work, tragically became the silent witness to her final, horrific moments.
The Vanishing and the Blood-Stained Trail
The tranquility of Kristine’s life was shattered on the morning of October 29, 2025. She left her home alone in her gray Hyundai Accent, informing her family she had errands to run. Nothing seemed amiss. However, as the day progressed, her family’s attempts to contact her went unanswered. Calls went straight to voicemail, and messages were unread. For the first time, Kristine had seemingly vanished without a trace.
The missing person case quickly transformed into a major police investigation later that afternoon. Around 4 PM, a concerned citizen alerted the Hinigaran Police Station to an abandoned vehicle deep within a vast sugarcane plantation near the highway in Barangay Gargato. Responding officers discovered Kristine’s gray Hyundai Accent. They immediately noticed the sinister signs: the glass on the driver’s side was shattered or bore a bullet hole, and the car’s interior was heavily stained with blood, particularly around the handbrake. Items inside suggested a trip to the beach, yet the absence of glass fragments outside suggested the car had been driven to this isolated spot after the violence occurred.
The vehicle’s registration was traced back to Kristine Joy Dignadice, confirming the family’s worst fears. Social media quickly exploded with frantic appeals from the family, sharing Kristine’s picture and pleading for any information. An agonizing sense of dread settled over her loved ones, hoping desperately that the blood found inside the car was not hers.
The Appearance of the Deceiver
The morning after the car’s discovery, October 30, a startling event occurred. A man arrived at Kristine’s home, introducing himself to her bewildered family—including her nephew—as Kristine’s boyfriend. This was a relationship they knew nothing about. Despite their confusion, they politely welcomed him in and even offered him coffee.
It was during their conversation that the family noticed a firearm bulging from the man’s waist, revealing him to be a police officer. The man, later identified as Police Staff Sergeant Enrique Gonzalodo Jr., claimed he was looking for Kristine and had heard she was missing. He recounted meeting her briefly on the morning of October 29 as she supposedly asked him to accompany her to meet a car buyer, an offer he declined due to being on duty. Unbeknownst to the grieving family, the man they had welcomed into their home and served coffee was, in fact, the prime suspect they were unknowingly searching for.
For two more harrowing days, the intensive search for Kristine’s body continued. Investigators, meticulously reviewing CCTV footage from Victorias City to Hinigaran, were zeroing in on a person of interest. The authorities were certain of one thing: the car had been deliberately abandoned to mislead the investigation.
The Confession and the Glimpse of Guilt
The truth finally broke on the evening of October 31. Police Brigadier General Arnold Thomas Ibay, the Regional Director of the Police Regional Office of Negros, received a critical, unscheduled phone call. The caller delivered the shocking, heartbreaking news: Kristine was dead, and he knew the location of her body. The caller was none other than the “boyfriend” who had visited her family: Police Staff Sergeant Enrique Gonzalodo Jr.
On November 1, All Saints’ Day, Gonzalodo, dressed in black and accompanied by his lawyer and a fellow police officer, quietly surrendered. The outwardly responsible, quiet cop—a married man with two children and over ten years of service—stood before his superiors as a man consumed by conscience and fear. He confessed to being the last person with Kristine and agreed to lead the authorities to where he had hidden her remains.
That same morning, the Regional Director and Provincial Director, along with the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO), followed Gonzalodo deep into a sugar cane plantation in Hacienda Weaver, Barangay George L. Araneta, Bago City—approximately 20 kilometers from the abandoned car. There, amidst the thick cane fields, they recovered Kristine’s badly decomposed body. Her clothing was partially lowered, and the condition of the body indicated she had been dead for two to five days.
The official medico-legal report confirmed the cause of death: a single gunshot wound. The bullet entered her right shoulder and exited through her neck. Though her watch was recovered—identified by her ten-year-old son—her three cellphones and other personal belongings were missing.
The Unbelievable Alibi and the Illicit Secret
The shock over Kristine’s death was compounded by the revelation of Gonzalodo’s deceptive visit to the family home. The raw pain of Kristine’s sister, Mary Grace, was palpable: “I even let him into our home and served him coffee. I only found out later that he was the one who killed her.” The betrayal was profound.
Gonzalodo, however, claimed the shooting was a tragic accident. He stated that they met in Talisay City, where they argued inside the Hyundai Accent. He claimed Kristine tried to grab his service firearm, which was placed near the handbrake. During the struggle, the gun allegedly discharged, hitting Kristine. Panicked, he drove nearly 30 kilometers to Bago City, dumped her body in the secluded cane field, and then drove another 30 kilometers to Hinigaran to abandon her car and throw investigators off the scent. He then took a bus home and pretended nothing had happened.
Authorities, however, were skeptical. “If it was truly an accident, why didn’t he rush her to the hospital? Why did he hide the body? Why did he go to such lengths to distance the car from the body?” questioned police officials. The three-day delay before his surrender only heightened suspicions that he only came forward because the investigation was closing in.
Further investigation and Gonzalodo’s admission confirmed the true motive: a “lover’s quarrel” stemming from a secret, three-year-long illicit affair. They had met when Gonzalodo was previously assigned in Victorias City. While their relationship had been ongoing despite Gonzalodo being a married man, the cause of the fatal argument remains officially undisclosed. Investigators and local officials, including Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office Director Col. Dennis Wenceslao, confirmed the affair, classifying the case as a possible crime of passion—an act fueled by extreme emotion, jealousy, or anger, possibly triggered by Kristine attempting to end the relationship.
A Plea for Justice and a Scar on the Badge
The public outcry was immediate and fierce, rejecting the narrative of an accidental shooting and demanding the maximum penalty. Local officials joined the chorus, with Congressman Benitez calling for a swift and transparent investigation and the family filing an administrative complaint with the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM). The police leadership, assuring the public of “no cover-up,” stressed that despite the confession, the case would be prosecuted based on concrete evidence. Gonzalodo has since been relieved from his duties and is detained, facing non-bailable murder charges.
This devastating case has left two families shattered. Kristine’s son and parents are left to mourn the loss of a devoted mother and anchor, forever scarred by the betrayal and violence. Meanwhile, Gonzalodo’s wife and children must grapple with the shocking reality of his infidelity and the heinous crime he committed.
The tragic death of Kristine Joy Dignadice is more than just a sensational headline; it is a profound wound inflicted upon public trust in law enforcement. It serves as a stark, indelible reminder that no sin, however carefully concealed—be it a betrayal of a spouse, a family, or a sacred oath—will remain unpunished. For those tempted by the forbidden, Kristine’s story stands as a chilling testament to the shame, lifelong suffering, and irreversible consequences that inevitably follow.