Police arrest alleged mastermind, accomplice in murder of architecture student

LIPA CITY, Batangas — More than 10 days after the killing of Jazmine Iya Martinez, a 20-year-old third-year architecture student at National University-Lipa, authorities arrested two suspects, including an alleged suitor who police identified as the mastermind behind the crime.

Lipa City police chief PLTCol. Aleli Buaquen said the alleged mastermind and the man he allegedly hired to carry out the killing were arrested in separate operations on Sunday.

Martinez was killed on the evening of October 14, 2026, while walking home from school in Barangay Duhatan, Lipa City, Batangas.

Buaquen said investigators tracked down the alleged assailant by reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage recorded shortly before the killing.

While reviewing footage from Barangay Banay-Banay, investigators spotted a man riding a motorcycle whose hat and clothing closely matched those worn by a man captured on CCTV on the night of the crime.

Authorities tracked the suspect to a house under construction, where he was arrested.

A cellphone video recorded by one of his co-workers hours before the killing also showed him wearing the same clothes, hat and slippers.

“Doon natin siya na-identify kasi hindi siya nagpalit ng kaniyang kasuotan noong umaga na nagtrabaho siya, noong sinundo niya ‘yung misis niya hanggang sa isinagawa niya ‘yung krimen,” Buaquen said.

The suspect was identified only as Lance, a 30-year-old construction worker.

He also showed authorities the clothes he allegedly wore during the killing, the knife used in the attack, and the motorcycle involved.

Lance implicated his 30-year-old co-worker, alias Kevin, whom he accused of ordering him to kill Martinez because she had allegedly ignored his advances for two years.

Buaquen said the killing was planned after the suspects monitored the victim’s movements for several days.

She added that Kevin’s alleged obsession with Martinez drove him to arrange the killing.

“Dahil gustong-gusto niya ‘yung bata, ‘yung estudyante, pero may pangarap pa, gustong mag-aral kaya wala pa siguro sa isip. Noong hindi siya pinapansin dahil na-focus sa pag-aaral, doon siya nagalit,” the police chief said.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Lance admitted that Kevin allegedly ordered him to kill Martinez and initially paid him P10,000.

“Iniutos po sa akin ni Kevin na tungkol sa relasyon nila ni Jazmine na kung hindi mapapasa-kaniya eh dispatsa ko na po kasi hindi po siya sinasagot ni Jazmine,” Lance said.

“First year pa po ‘yun noong niligawan ni Kevin hanggang second year, third year eh wala pong nangyayari sa relasyon nila,” he added.

Lance said he waited for Martinez on the night of the incident and tried to speak with her, claiming Kevin had been unable to contact the victim for some time.

“Tapos nagalit po si Jazmine, nagwala, pinagsasampal ako tapos pinagsusuntok ako, bukod pa roon tuloy-tuloy na sabunot sa akin, doon ko ho nagawa ang krimen,” Lance admitted.

“Hindi ko naman po akalain na mamamatay siya, nabigla nga po ako sa nangyari,” he added.

Lance said he was consumed by guilt and had been unable to sleep for several days, prompting him to admit his involvement in the killing.

In a follow-up operation in Tanauan City, Batangas, authorities arrested Kevin, who denied involvement in the crime.

“Wala po akong kinalaman dito,” Kevin said.

Authorities are preparing murder charges against both suspects, who are being held at the Lipa City Detention Center.