Latest / Murder Files Unsealed / Boracay Tragedy - The Michaela Mickova Murder Investigation

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Boracay Tragedy - The Michaela Mickova Murder Investigation · Murder Files Unsealed

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Okay, let's talk about Bora Kay Island. You know, picture it.
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  Those incredible white sand beaches, that amazing turquoise water, the nightlife.
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  It's got this huge reputation, absolutely.
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  Speaker 2: A real jewel in the Philippines, pulling in what over
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  a million visitors a year. Just a classic paradise destination exactly.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: But then March twenty twenty five happened, and this idyllic
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  place it hit the global headlines for something truly awful.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, the brutal murder of a young tourist, Mikhayla Mikova.
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  She was only twenty three Slovakia.
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  Speaker 1: It was just shocking. So in this deep dive, we're
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  going to get into the details of Mikayla's case. She
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  was found in an abandoned.
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  Speaker 2: Chapel, right, and our mission here is really to walk
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  you through the sources, understand the investigation, how it just
• 0:44
  hammered Boorca's reputation, you.
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  Speaker 1: Know, and the wider implications too for tourism safety, not
• 0:50
  just there, but kind of everywhere for traveler exactly.
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  Speaker 2: We want to pull out the key insights so you
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  really get the picture.
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  Speaker 1: So let's start with Discovery itself. It was March twelfth,
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  twenty twenty five. A local guy. I'm Pill Mariano, twenty
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  six years old.
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  Speaker 2: He's just walking home from the beach right in Brangay.
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  Speaker 1: Ballabag, Yeah, and he smelled something awful coming from this old,
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  abandoned chapel near the Pearl of the Pacific hotel.
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  Speaker 2: And what he found inside just horrific.
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  Speaker 1: Mikhaylamcove's body decomposing, face up, unclothed from the waist down,
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  blouse pushed up, legs spread.
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  Speaker 2: Just grim details and there was a stab wound to
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  her abdomen, clear signs of sexual assault.
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  Speaker 1: Plus her wallet was missing. So right away people are
• 1:31
  thinking maybe robbery.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that was the immediate thought, though more.
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  Speaker 1: Came out later and Mikayla herself, what's her story. It's
• 1:37
  just heartbreaking, it really is.
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  Speaker 2: She was Slovakian but living in Berlin working as a caregiver.
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  Speaker 1: Came to bor K March first, all excited for a
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  friend's wedding, exactly.
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  Speaker 2: Just supposed to be a happy trip. Her friends last
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  saw her around one pm on March tenth. She was
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  wearing a red top a green knitted hat.
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  Speaker 1: And when she vanished, her friends were understandably frantic totally.
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  Speaker 2: They put up missing person posters, offered a reward about
• 2:02
  fifty thousand paysos, so maybe six hundred and seventy pounds
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  or so.
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  Speaker 1: They were all over social media too read it included
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  just desperate for any news.
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  Speaker 2: And then just two days after she was last seen,
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  this terrible discovery.
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  Speaker 1: The autopsy, It just confirmed the absolute horror of it all.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, the medical legal exam on March thirteenth, it confirmed
• 2:23
  sexual assault. The findings mentioned recent blunt force penetrating trauma.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: But that wasn't actually the cause of death.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: No, the primary cause was blunt force trauma to the head.
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  It caused a severe hematoma.
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  Speaker 1: And there were other injuries too. Right, it sounds like
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  an incredibly violent attack.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, definitely abrasions, hematoma's on her face, contusions on her abdomen,
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  her arms, her knee, a hem tooma on her thigh.
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  It strongly suggested well likely multiple attackers.
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  Speaker 1: Just awful. So faced with this kind of brutality, How
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  did the authorities react? Was it swift?
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  Speaker 2: Very swift? They knew how serious this was, especially for Borisi.
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  The local Malay police, the Regional Command Pierro six, and
• 3:03
  the National Bureau of investigation at the.
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  Speaker 1: NBI like their FBI equivalent.
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  Speaker 2: Kind of yeah, they all jumped on it immediately. A
• 3:08
  really multi pronged investigation.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: Kicked off straight away, and they made progress pretty fast
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  they did.
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  Speaker 2: By the very next day, March fourteenth, they'd identified two
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  local guys seen with Mikayla on CCTV.
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  Speaker 1: Okay and friends said she was friendly, made connections easily.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, So seeing her talking to new people wasn't
• 3:28
  necessarily strange, but these two immediately became persons of interest.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: So they have these guys on CCTV. What was the
• 3:35
  next big break? Did someone confess?
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  Speaker 2: That's exactly what happened. Also on March fourteenth, kind of coincidentally,
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  police arrested a twenty eight year old guy alias mink.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: Or kim Poi, but for something else entirely right.
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  Speaker 2: It's during an anti drug operation, but while he was
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  in custody, apparently his conscience got to him.
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  Speaker 1: Really Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: By March sixteenth, he gave an affidavit and in it
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  he implicated two others guys named Jello and JR. Mikayla's
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  rape and murder.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, so mixed confession. What did he actually say happened.
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  Speaker 2: It's a chilling account. He said. He was drinking with
• 4:07
  Jello and jar on March tenth, the day Mikaela disappeared. Okay,
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  they saw Mikaela near that same chapel around six ten pm.
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  She was just taking photos, Mick claimed. Jalo started talking
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  to her, but when she tried to leave, Jalo grabbed
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  her wrist and then, according to Mick, Jr hid her
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  with a piece of wood knocked her unconscious. God, he said.
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  Jalo and Jr. Then carried her into the chapel for
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  the assault. Mick claims he got scared and left at
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  that point. He just left, that's his story. Said. He
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  only found out she was dead later when the body
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  was discovered.
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  Speaker 1: So by mid March, things are moving fast. Two people
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  in custody.
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  Speaker 2: Right by March seventeenth, two of the three persons of
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  interest were held, and Mick formally filed what's called an
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  extra judicial confession on the eighteenth.
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  Speaker 1: Which is basically a confession outside of.
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  Speaker 2: Court, exactly made to law enforcement. Usually it has specific
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  legal weight, but can also be challenged.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, and then the police made a pretty bold statement.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Brigadier General Jack Wank he's the Pro six director
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  announced on March twentieth that the case was and this
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  is a quote, ninety nine point nine percent solved.
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  Speaker 1: Ninety nine point nine percent. That's very specific, it is.
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  Speaker 2: He said there was a manhunt ongoing for Jalo and Jr.
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  They thought they were freelance tour guides, possibly still on
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  that island.
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  Speaker 1: But even with that ninety nine point nine percent, there
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  were still things pending, right like forensics.
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  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, crucial forensic results were still awaited from CEBU.
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  They were also still reviewing more CCTV and searching Mikaela's
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  hotel room.
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  Speaker 1: So declaring it solved seems maybe a bit premature, especially
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  with suspects on the run.
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  Speaker 2: It definitely projected confidence, maybe aimed at reassurance, but yeah,
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  significant challenges remained.
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  Speaker 1: And what about the suspects themselves? Were they locals? What
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  was the motive? According to the police, not.
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  Speaker 2: All were residents. Apparently the interaction seemed purely opportunistic, like
• 5:56
  a chance encounter gone horribly wrong, and.
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  Speaker 1: The robbery angle with the missing wallet.
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  Speaker 2: While noted the investigators started leaning heavily towards sexual assault
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  as the primary motive, the murder tragically likely followed to
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  silence the witness.
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  Speaker 1: Any truth to rumors about foreign involvement.
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  Speaker 2: Please basically shut that down, declined to confirm any speculation,
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  kept the focus squarely on the individuals make it implicated.
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  Speaker 1: So the immediate aftermath on Bori k It must have
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  been just fear and outrage.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely through the local community. The tourism industry. Yeah, you
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  can imagine. Borika's reputation is built on being this safe,
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  idyllic place.
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  Speaker 1: And tourism is everything there, right, So this hits hard
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  economically too.
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  Speaker 2: Definitely, business owners, residents, everyone was deeply concerned about the fallout.
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  It shows how fragile that link between safety perception and
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  economic survival can be.
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  Speaker 1: And this played out online too, I bet massively.
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  Speaker 2: Social media places like read It you know are Philippines
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  Arctica pH just exploded with grief, frustration.
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  Speaker 1: Anger, keep lamenting Mikaela's death, obviously.
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  Speaker 2: But also also expressing real fear, especially female travelers, some
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  saying they were reconsidering solo trips to Borrika, sharing their
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  own unsettling experiences sometimes.
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  Speaker 1: So, how did the officials, like the mayor and Tourism
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  department try to manage this?
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  Speaker 2: They responded fast Lai's mayor for Leubar Bautista pushed for
• 7:17
  a quick investigation. The Department of Tourism expressed profound concern.
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  Speaker 1: But also tried to reassure people.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, they stress Boorka was still secure. The former Interior
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  Secretary Ben her Aballos called it an isolated case. He
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  pointed out it was actually the first murder of its
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  kind in Boraka's police records.
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  Speaker 1: An isolated case, but it clearly tapped into something bigger,
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  didn't it This conversation about women's safety.
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  Speaker 2: Undeniably, it became this focal point for a much broader
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  and frankly essential discussion about the safety of female travelers,
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  especially those traveling alone.
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  Speaker 1: It forces you to ask, right, is it just about
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  telling women to be careful or does the destination itself
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  need to be safer Exactly?
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  Speaker 2: That's the tension, and this case seemed to bring other
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  previously unreported incidents or attempted assaults to light, suggesting underlying
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  issues and.
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  Speaker 1: Looking even broader for the Philippines tourism industry. This must
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  highlight some challenges it does.
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  Speaker 2: Boric is huge development its commercialization, it can sometimes push
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  crime into the less monitored areas like abandoned properties.
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  Speaker 1: Like the Pearl of the Pacific hotel where she was found.
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  It was closed, Yeah, close.
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  Speaker 2: Since the pandemic, these kinds of spots can become vulnerable.
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  Speaker 1: And does this fit into a wider national picture in
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  the Philippines.
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  Speaker 2: Sadly yes, it touches on the national concern about violence
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  against women. The Philippine National Police the PNP, they've reported
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  thousands of rape cases annually in recent years, over eight thousand.
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  Speaker 1: That's staggering. So protecting vulnerable tourists becomes part of that
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  larger issue.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, which is why the Department of Tourism announced plans
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  for better security, more police, more CCTV safety campaigns.
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  Speaker 1: And local officials too.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Malay officials talked about stricter licensing for tour guides,
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  for tourism workers, trying to add layers of accountability.
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  Speaker 1: It's just vital amidst all this to remember Mikayla herself,
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  not just as a statistic or a victim so important.
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  Speaker 2: She was, by all accounts, a vibrant young woman, passionate
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  about life, a caregiver in Berlin. That says something about her.
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  Speaker 1: This trip was meant to be a celebration, a friend's
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  wedding exactly.
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  Speaker 2: Friends called her a friendly, adventurous someone who loved meeting people.
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  Speaker 1: And there was that detail from the GoFundMe page, just
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  gut wrenching.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, A friend share that Mikaylae had written just before
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  she disappeared about how happy she was, just purely happy to.
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  Speaker 1: Be in Bori k and that GoFundMe raised a decent
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  amount for her family.
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  Speaker 2: It did over three seven hundred pounds for repatriation funeral costs.
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  It showed how much people cared.
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  Speaker 1: Her death really became the symbol, didn't it, of traveler vulnerability,
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  sparking these calls for justice but also for real systemic change.
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  Speaker 2: Definitely, A friend's message quoted in some reports was just heartbreaking.
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  I wish nothing more than that my beloved friend is alive,
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  but she's been taken from us forever.
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  Speaker 1: So going back to the investigation, despite that ninety nine
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  point nine percent solve claim, there were still hurdles. What
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  were the main ones?
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  Speaker 2: Well, legally, a big one is mcave's extra judicial confession.
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  If his lawyers argue it was given under duress or
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  without proper counsel, it might not be admissible in court.
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  That could seriously weaken the case.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, that makes sense, And the other suspects, Jello.
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  Speaker 2: And j are still being at large as of late
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  March twenty twenty five. Anyway, that's obviously a huge issue.
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  You need all perpetrators for full justice.
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  Speaker 1: Plus the forensics were still pending.
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  Speaker 2: Right DNA fingerprints. That physical evidence is crucial, especially given
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  the location.
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  Speaker 1: The abandoned chapel. Yeah, probably not a lot of witnesses
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  or cameras.
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  Speaker 2: Right there, exactly. It makes the case rely more heavily
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  on Miko's testimony and eventually hopefully that forensic evidence. Logitical
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  challenges too, investigating in remote derelict site.
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  Speaker 1: While all this official investigation was happening. What about the
• 10:59
  community on Borsi? How did they react on the ground.
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  Speaker 2: They really came together. You saw businesses organizing vigils, donating
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  to that GoFundMe. There was this real sense of collective
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  grief and shock.
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  Speaker 1: Did they push for changes too?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, The Borikei Foundation, which represents many businesses, strongly condemned
• 11:17
  the crime. They didn't just condemn it, they.
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  Speaker 1: Pledged action like what specifically.
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  Speaker 2: Things like mandatory safety training for tourism workers, pushing for
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  better lighting in dimly lit areas, regular checks on abandoned buildings.
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  Speaker 1: Like that chapel seems practical, and.
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  Speaker 2: Even proposing a dedicated tourist police unit. So yet the
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  crime really spurred them into trying to make tangible safety.
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  Speaker 1: Improvements in this case obviously didn't stay just a Philippine story.
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  International attention must have been intense, hugely.
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  Speaker 2: Intense, especially from Slovakia, Michaela's home country, and Germany where
• 11:49
  she lived in work MS has got involved, oh yes,
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  working with Philippine authorities, pushing for a thorough investigation, supporting
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  the family. They also issued caution advisories for their citizens.
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  Speaker 1: There, and the media picked it up globally.
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  Speaker 2: Big outlets, Yeah, BBC News, The Guardian, Several countries updated
• 12:08
  their travel advisories for the Philippines or at least for
• 12:10
  Boorer case specifically. It put a real spotlight and pressure
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  on the investigation.
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  Speaker 1: And social media. As we touched on, it seems like
• 12:17
  it was central to this whole thing, for better and.
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  Speaker 2: Worse, absolutely a double edged sword. It was vital in
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  the initial search getting the word out, mobilizing people. It
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  fuels public discourse, grief anger, but the downside, misinformation rumors,
• 12:32
  speculation flying around, which can actually hinder police work. Authorities
• 12:36
  had to actively warn people against spreading unverified stuff.
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  Speaker 1: But it also became a platform for advocacy definitely.
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  Speaker 2: You saw hashtags like hashtag justice for Mikayla, hashtags safe
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  travel for women, taking off travel. Influencers started sharing safety
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  tips using the case to raise awareness. So powerful for
• 12:54
  good too.
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  Speaker 1: So wrapping this up, Mikaela Makov's murder is just this stark,
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  sobering minor, isn't it. Even paradise can have hidden dangers.
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  Speaker 2: It really is a beautiful place, a reputation for safety,
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  but this tragedy exposed vulnerabilities, gaps in infrastructure and sparked
• 13:11
  really necessary conversations.
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  Speaker 1: The focus now has to be on justice for Mikayla. Right,
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  are there still rewards out for the remaining suspect?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, rewards were offered, and the legal process how this
• 13:22
  case proceeds to the courts is being watched incredibly closely by.
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  Speaker 1: Everyone locally and internationally. It's seen as a test, almost.
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  Speaker 2: A test of the commitment to tackling crimes against tourists,
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  ensuring accountability. It has huge implications for trust and safety perception.
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  Speaker 1: So thinking about this for you listening. What's the takeaway
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  as a traveler.
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  Speaker 2: Well, this deep dive into Michaela's story, it really pushes
• 13:43
  us to think about that balance, the desire to explore
• 13:46
  the beauty of the world.
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  Speaker 1: Against the need for awareness, for vigilance exactly.
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  Speaker 2: So, when you plan your next trip, maybe think beyond
• 13:55
  just the beautiful beaches or the cool sites. Think about awareness.
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  Think about how communey support looking out.
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  Speaker 1: For each other, How those become maybe the most vital
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  things you pack. It's like a collective call, isn't it?
• 14:06
  For a safer world for everyone who travels
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  Speaker 2: A safer and hopefully a more compassionate world.