We were supposed to scare DFA exec, not kill her — suspects

Two suspects in the murder of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Alicia Ramos who were presented to the media by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday claimed they were only sent to scare the government official, not kill her.

NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco presented cousins Joel Ablay, 25, a pedicab driver and resident of Laperal street in Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City, and Michael Cenil, 21, a resident of Barangay Laiya in Aplaya, San Juan, Batangas.

In front of journalists, the suspects owned up to the murder, but denied that they intended to kill Ramos, 64, at her residence on Boyle street in Barangay Palanan, Makati City last April 24.

"We did not mean to kill her. The order given by Obet’s boss was to scare her," Ablay said in Filipino.

The suspects said that when they gagged Ramos in her bedroom, they accidentally covered her nose with packaging tape. She apparently died of suffocation.

The suspects claimed not to know the identity of the boss of "Obet," an alias used by Roberto Lumagui, a resident of No. 1830 Dian st., also in Barangay Palanan.

In return for terrorizing the senior diplomat, Lumagui was supposed to receive P20,000 from the person who hired them. Ablay and Cenil, on the other hand, each received P700 as their share of the loot.

Police are still looking for Lumagui, the alleged mastermind, and a fourth suspect, Jun Maricar, a sampaguita flower vendor and resident of Barangay Ugong, Pasig City.

As of noontime yesterday, the NBI and different units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Lumagui had sent out surrender feelers to the authorities and they were expecting positive developments by early evening.

"On the surface, it appears that robbery was the motive but once the mastermind surrenders, then we will know the truth," Wycoco said.

Ablay said Lumagui had worked as a houseboy for Ramos and ran errands for her.

Other reports said Lumagui was familiar with the Ramos residence because the sisters had hired him as a handyman on several past occasions – once to repair their roof and another time to raise their fence. He is allegedly a childhood friend of Ramos’ nephew.

Ablay said the three suspects picked him up at his house at around 2 a.m. on April 24. After climbing over the fence surrounding the Ramos residence, the suspects reportedly waited inside the compound from 2 until 5 a.m.

The suspects then reportedly forced their way in when Ramos’ younger sister, Leticia, 61, opened the door at 5 a.m. They held Leticia downstairs while they dragged Ramos to the upstairs bedroom.

Ablay said he was the one who tied up the two women, while Cenil stood guard over Leticia, who escaped when the suspect was not looking. After taking a few valuables, the suspects said they left the house at 6 a.m.

After escaping, Leticia had reported the crime to the police, who found Ramos bound and lifeless inside her home.

"We were able to gather statements from the neighbors that would strengthen the case against them," said Southern Police District director Chief Superintendent Wilfredo Garcia.

Ablay was arrested at Barangay Wawa in Rodriguez, Rizal last May 5 after he boasted of his involvement in the robbery and murder of a woman he said was a sister of former President Fidel Ramos.

One of Ablay’s drinking buddies was an NBI informer who was aware of Ramos’ slaying. He immediately contacted his "handler" at the NBI, who coordinated with Task Force Alicia, which was created to bring Ramos’ killers to justice.

Cenil, on the other hand, was caught in Batangas.

Senior Superintendent Asher Dolina, of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region, said they will need time to apprehend all four suspects since the four men split up after committing the crime.

The Makati City police said they tracked down Danilo Dacutanan, 18, and recovered from him one of the cameras reportedly taken from the Ramos house on the day of the robbery.

Dacutanan said Ablay asked him to sell each of the two cameras for P500, after which he would receive a P50 commission on each item.

Apart from the cameras, other items declared to be missing were several pieces of jewelry, wrist watches and two cellular phones.

State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco, who conducted the inquest proceedings, said they will file the case against the suspects during the week, using Ablay’s "extra-judicial confession." He added that the Department of Justice could use Ablay as a state witness.

Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Gilbert Asuque said the DFA is sincerely pleased that the hard work of both the PNP and the NBI resulted in the arrest of two suspects and the identification of two others.

"We leave the fate of the suspects to our justice system. We hope the developments will bring peace to the family," he said.

Ramos’ sister, Leticia, the DFA’s Policy Planning and Coordination Director, did not have any statements regarding the arrest of the suspects. She is still on official leave. – With Jose Rodel Clapano, Pia Lee-Brago, AFP