(UPDATED) MANILA, September 9, 2013 – Kristelle Davantes, senior account manager at McCann Worldgroup Philippines’ MRM, was found slain in Silang, Cavite Saturday morning.
According to reports, the 25-year old was last seen driving a gold Toyota Altis in Bonifacio Global City(BGC). The car, with plate number PIM 966, is still missing.
In a Facebook post, Budjette Tan, executive creative director of MRM, said that Davantes had drinks with her colleagues at a bar at BGC on Friday night, then parted ways with them at around 1 a.m. on Saturday.
Meanwhile, her family had sent out a missing persons notice via Instagram.
Friends and colleagues of Davantes have since taken to social networks to express their grief and call for justice.
On Twitter, many have tagged their tweets with the hashtag #justiceforkae, while on Facebook, an image of a black ribbon with the words "Justice for Kristelle Davantes" is circulating. A Facebook page, Justice for KAE, has also been set-up.
At the same time, Ricky Alegre, president of the United Print Media Group (UPMG), has called on members to join the call for justice for Davantes by attaching the black ribbon to their publication’s story on the case. "
"Our collective role as print media in proactively reporting cases like this will help pressure the authorities to resolve the brutal killing of Kristelle Davantes and other cases like this," Alegre said in a letter to UPMG members.
Davantes was described as a passionate and hard-working individual.
"Despite all the OT we do and all the weekly workload that leave us with little personal time, she was still excited to work on a new project and win a new account," Tan said in his Facebook post.
Davantes started working with McCann Worldgroup Philippines in September 2011. She earned her master’s degree in Marketing Communications from De La Salle University, and a Business Administration degree from Southville Foreign University.
In their official statement released Monday afternoon, McCann Worldgroup Philippines requested prayers for Davantes’ eternal repose as well as for the strength of her family. They also expressed their thanks for those who continue to condole with them.
"McCann Worldgroup Philiippines would like to extend sincere appreciation to the people who express condolences and kind words of support in the passing of one of our own–Kristelle ‘Kae’ Davantes," they said.
"We are shocked and saddened by this news. We are one with the Davantes family in this time of grief and we will continue to offer them our full support. We respect their request for privacy in this time of bereavement, as we await the complete and accurate details from the ongoing investigation," they added.
