3 nabbed in slay of Cebu hotelier

DAVAO CITY , Philippines  â€“ Authorities arrested last Sunday three suspects in the killing of prominent businessman and hotelier Richard King, who was gunned down inside his own establishment here last June 12.

At least five witnesses have positively identified one of the suspects – Paul Dave Molina Labang, 24, a resident of Barangay Daliao in this city’s Toril district.

Five consultants of King’s Vital C Wellness and Health Products who were at the firm’s building when the incident took place pinpointed Labang, who is now detained at the Davao City police jail.

King was having dinner with his staff at the Vital C building when the assassin walked into the building and shot him in the head at close range.

Aside from the positive identification of Labang, police also seized from him a sling bag believed to be owned by King.

Investigators said Labang has refused to confess and disclose the motive for the killing.

But Labang was reportedly not alone in committing the crime.

Police also arrested Rommel dela Cerna, reportedly an asset of the police in Barangay Maa.

Dela Cerna was allegedly responsible for locating King last June 12.

Another suspect, Rodel dela Cerna, the driver of the motorcycle that Labang used as his getaway vehicle, was also nabbed.

Murder charges will be filed against Labang and the other suspects.

A P1.3-million reward had been offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspects in the killing of the hotelier.

King headed the J. King & Sons Co. Inc., developer of Crown Regency, Club Ultima and the City Suites Ramos Tower in Cebu City.

King also owned the Crown Regency Hotel along Cabaguio Avenue in Davao City.

He was also the founder and director of Boracay Multiple Properties Inc. that established the Crown Regency Boracay Resort.

Vital C Health and Wellness Products was King’s latest business venture after he opened the Crown Regency Hotel in Makati City.

Enzo Pastor murder

Police investigators are following up leads on the ambush-slaying of international racing champion Enzo Pastor in Quezon City last June 12.

“Our investigators have established good leads on the case of Pastor. We are hoping to solve the case very soon,” said Deputy Director General Felipe Rojas Jr., officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Rojas said investigators from the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) are conducting a background investigation on Pastor, which he believed could help them solve the case.

He said Pastor’s family is cooperating fully in their investigation.

Rojas refused to say, however, whether the QCPD investigators have already identified the motive behind the killing.

Pastor was driving a truck that stopped at the corner of Visayas Ave. and Congressional Extension Avenue in Quezon City when he was shot dead by a lone gunman.

Police said Pastor was transporting his race car to Pampanga from Batangas when he stopped at a traffic light at 10 p.m.

Pastor succumbed to gunshot wounds in the head, neck and arms.

Responding policemen recovered caliber .45 pistol shells from the crime scene.

Initial investigation showed that after shooting Pastor, the gunman walked towards a waiting getaway motorcycle.

Pastor was the first Filipino to participate in the NASCAR Whelen Euroseries Open Championship race circuit.

He had recently won the Asian V8 Racing Championship, and was about to join a race this July in Clark.

Pastor’s remains were cremated last Sunday in Taguig City as his relatives and friends reiterated their call for justice.