4 suspects in slay of QC village chief arrested
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sun, 03 Feb 2019 09:18:31 +0000
By ALEXANDRIAÂ SAN JUAN
NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office Director Guillermo Eleazar, Quezon City Police District Chief Joselito Esquivel and Acting Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte present the four primary suspects in the killing of Barangay Bagong Silangan chairwoman and congressional candidate Crisell Beltran at Camp Karingal in Quezon City, Sunday. (Alvin Kasiban)
POLICE announced Sunday the arrest of four suspects in the ambush-slaying of Quezon City village chairwoman and congressional candidate Crissel Beltran during a press conference at the headquarters of Quezon City Police District (QCPD) in Camp Karingal.
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel Jr., identified the suspects as Teofilo Formanes, 48, a market inspector at Commonwealth Market, and brothers Ruel, 38, delivery boy; Orlando, 32; and Joppy, both vendors; all surnamed Juab.
The arrested suspects were presented by Esquivel, National Capital Region Police Office Director Guillermo Eleazar and Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte during the media briefing.
First to be arrested by the police was Formanes, who was identified by one of the witnesses as the shooter that attacked the Barangay Bagong Silangan chairwoman Beltran.
A facial composite illustration of Formanes was released through the description given by the witness who identified the suspect when the latter raised the visor of his helmet to reload his gun before shooting again at the victims.
The witness also positively identified him in a police rouge gallery.
Operatives of QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit nabbed Formanes while he was about to board his motorcycle with a gun tucked in his waist at the back of Commonwealth Market on Saturday morning.
Arresting personnel said Formanes violently resisted the arrest and tried to pull his firearm, but he was subsequently subdued.
Confiscated from his possession were a .9mm pistol, a black Yamaha Mio Sporty motorcycle without plate number, two baseball caps, a mobile phone, and three hand-held radio units.
Police also seized from them four helmets that resembled those worn by the gunmen as seen on a CCTV footage acquired by probers.
Upon questioning, Formanes identified the Juab brothers as his other cohorts in the ambush, prompting the cops to conduct a follow-up operation.
Investigators arrested the Juabs in their house on Steve Street in Barangay Commonwealth.
Police said the suspects were already packing up and ready to escape when they arrived.
During the arrest, three other persons identified as Miguel Juab, 26; Mangmang Rasia, 26; and Boy Fernandez, 52, were also arrested for obstruction of justice after they tried to prevent the police from arresting the Juab brothers.
During interrogation, Formanes further revealed that a certain Cosette Capistrano kept the firearm of another suspect in the ambush identified as Warren Juab, who turned out to be her cousin.
Capistrano led the operatives to a residential building on Republic Avenue in Barangay Holy Spirit but shouted and gave warning to Warren who escaped with another suspect, Dutch Boy Bello.
This prompted the officers to also arrest Capistrano for obstruction of justice along Warren’s wife, Angelie, for helping the two suspects escape.
Warren and Bello, pinpointed by the arrested suspects as the ones who were in contact with the mastermind, are now subject of a massive manhunt, police said.
Cases of murder, frustrated murder in relation to Republic Act 7610; attempted murder, and illegal possession of firearms in relation to the Omnibus Election Code was filed at the City Prosecutor’s Office against Formanes and the Juab brothers.
Additional charges for unlawful possession of explosives, direct assault, resistance and disobedience to an agent of person in authority were filed against Joppy and Ruel Juab.
According to Eleazar, the motive behind the killing has yet to be established pending the arrest of the two other suspects.
Beltran was attacked by the assailants while onboard her SUV together with her driver Melchor Salita, and four other companions on JP Rizal Street in Barangay Bagong Silangan on Wednesday morning.
The chairwoman and Salita were rushed to hospital but were declared dead on arrival, while their other companions were unharmed, police said.
A 14-year-old boy, meanwhile, was wounded after being hit by a stray bullet on his knee.
A special investigation task group was formed for the immediate resolution of the case while the Quezon City council offered a P5-million cash reward to anyone who can provide information for the arrest of the suspects.