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TRAGIC. A missing person poster circulates for 23-year-old Michaela Mickova in Malay, Aklan. The Slovakian was subsequently found dead in an abandoned hotel in Boracay.
PNP-Malay, Aklan
The Slovakian's murder alarms Boracay’s local community, with various groups urging authorities to solve the case quickly
AKLAN, Philippines – Police have identified two persons of interest in the murder of Slovakian tourist Michaela Mickova, whose body was found inside a chapel of an abandoned hotel on Boracay Island on Wednesday, March 12.
Malay town police chief Lieutenant Colonel Mar Joseph Ravelo said the two individuals, both island residents, were seen in CCTV footage accompanying Mickova on the day she was last seen by her friends. The two are under investigation.
A group of South Koreans reported seeing the 23-year-old Mickova late morning on March 10, the same day her friends last saw her.
Soojin Kim, president of the Korean Residents Association in Malay and Boracay (KROB), said, “I have been told by one of our members that they last saw the victim around 11 am walking alone in the Bulabog area, constantly looking at her phone.”
The sighting has been reported to the police as part of the investigation.
Mickova’s murder has alarmed Boracay’s local community, with various groups urging authorities to solve the case quickly. Among those calling for swift action are the local government of Malay, the Malay Tourism Office, and KROB.
Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Arlene Brosas, a senatorial candidate visiting Malay to campaign, expressed concern over the killing. She said the crime took place during Women’s Month.
“I call on the Philippine National Police to immediately solve this,” Brosas said.
Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista urged authorities to speed up their investigation and to arrest suspects as soon as possible, to send a strong message against impunity in Boracay.
“The arrest would mean that Boracay is a safe tourist destination,” Bautista said.
The body was discovered Wednesday inside the abandoned Pearl of the Pacific hotel in Sitio Piaungon, Barangay Balabag. There were indications of sexual abuse.
The killing has rattled local business owners and residents, who worry about its impact on Boracay’s tourism-driven economy. The island, famed for its white sand beaches and active nightlife, draws more than a million visitors each year.
Officials moved quickly to contain the fallout, promising heightened security. Police patrols and surveillance in key areas would be increased, they said, as part of efforts to reassure both tourists and locals. – Rappler.com
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