A TAIWANESE national accused of killing and dismembering a Chinese national inside his condominium unit in Pasay City before dumping the chopped body parts in Manila was captured by the police in a follow-up operation, National Capital Region Police Office director, Major General Anthony A. Aberin said on Thursday.
The 32-year old suspect identified only as alias ‘Davao’ was tracked down around 1:30 p.m. Thursday inside the Okada Hotel and Casino in Parañaque City following a hot pursuit operation by the Pasay City Police Station headed by Colonel Joselito M. de Sesto, the NCRPO director said.
The victim of the gruesome murder case was also identified as a Chinese national with the name ‘Xiangyang.’ He was identified thru an S&R Membership Shopping Card recovered during the investigation.
The Southern Police District headed by Brigadier Gen. Randy Y. Arceo said that the suspect’s arrest was made possible thru the cooperation of the suspect’s live-in partner, the assistance of hotel management, and the efforts of Pasay police personnel who pursued the suspect by following multiple leads and going in different locations to arrest him.
The suspect was taken to the Pasay City Police Station Investigation and Detective Management Section for documentation before being taken to the Pasay City General Hospital for physical examination following his arrest.
He will be inquested for murder before a Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office.
Brig. Gen. Arceo described the arrest as a decisive step toward justice in the drum murder case, stressing that the brutality of the crime demanded nothing less than the full force of the law.
“This case was a disturbing act of violence that shook the public conscience. Prior to this development, our personnel were able to arrest the lead suspect involved in the disposal of the victim’s remains, which proved vital in building the case and eventually leading to the capture of the mastermind behind this crime.
The arrest sends a clear message that no individual, regardless of nationality or circumstance, is beyond the reach of the law. I commend the Pasay City Police and all supporting units for their discipline, perseverance, and professionalism in ensuring that this suspect is brought before the courts to answer for his actions,” the SPD director said.
Prior to that, agents of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) late Tuesday evening arrested a suspect in the killing of the Chinese national whose dismembered body they dumped in Del Pan Bridge in Binondo, Manila, a report to PNP chief, General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said.
PNP-HPG director, Brigadier Gen. Hansel M. Marantan said the suspect identified as Victor Tandico has been identified as involved in the murder of the victim whose body was ‘chopped’ into several pieces and placed in a blue plastic drum before being dumped at Del Pan Bridge around 7:30 p.m. last Sunday.
Members of the HPG National Capital Region headed by Lieutenant Colonel Joey T. Caise , with the help of personnel from the Manila Police District Homicide Section and the Pasay City Police Station arrested the suspect inside no, 1424 Mactan Street in Baclaran, Pasay City around 10 p.m. Tuesday .
According to Brig. Gen. Marantan, the arrest of the suspect stemmed from an information received by the HPG-NCR regarding the location of an L-300 van used in the disposal of the dismembered body of the victim.
Acting on the information, officers went to the address where they found the vehicle used in transporting the drum containing the body.
An investigation revealed that Tandico rented the L-300 van from its registered owner Francisco Lagasca who sent his driver Omar Alip to the pickup site. During questioning, Alip said Tandico was not in the area anymore when he arrived.
Instead, he was told to just pick up the plastic drum around 5:30 p.m. at 2001 Residence located in Bgy. 13, Roxas boulevard in Pasay City.
In coordination with the Pasay CPS and the MPD Homicide Section, officers went to 2201 Residences where Alip positively identified the security guard who assisted him in loading the plastic drum to his driven vehicle.
Investigators, with the permission of the building administrator reviewed the CCTV footages where they found out that at around 5:26 p.m. last Sunday, a Chinese national was seen in the elevator carrying a blue plastic drum with the help of a security guard.
Five minutes later, suspect Tandico was seen in the CCTV footage meeting the then unidentified suspect in front of 2201 Residences. The two later helped each other load the plastic drum to the L300 van.
Based on the CCTV recordings, Tandico was arrested. He and the principal suspect will be facing a non-bailable murder case.
Col. De Sesto said that a team of SOCO personnel from the PNP Forensic Group processed Room 1510 of 2201 Residences where the victim was killed and dismembered. His head, two arms and two legs were cut by the suspects before being hidden inside the plastic drum.
The building security guard said he was told by the Chinese national that the plastic drum was heavy as it contained softdrinks.
The official said that CCTV footages they reviewed also revealed that the suspects were seen returning to the same condo unit after disposing of the body.
He said that the ‘victim was found to have been stabbed in the neck before being cut into pieces.
The official said their investigation showed that the victim was killed right inside the suspect’s room where forensic experts recovered bloodstains, a bloodstained pillow, a bloodstained mop believed to have been used to clean the area as well as ‘carcasses’ of the victim’s body.
Col. De Sesto said they are looking into reports that the victim’s unpaid debt triggered his killing adding that they are not discounting the possibility it could be a POGO-related crime too just like in previous cases were Chinese nationals were abducted, killed and dismembered too after incurring huge debts from POGO operators.
He also said that the driver and owner of the rented van were the ones who reported the matter to the PNP-HPG after seeing a television report regarding the matter.
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