Man arrested for “killing” friend

CEBU, Philippines - After fleeing from authorities, a 27-year-old man who allegedly shot dead his friend inside his house in barangay Tisa, Cebu City Sunday was finally arrested yesterday morning.

Arnel Parba was arrested by his neighbor SPO2 Jeffrey Diola while he was sleeping inside his mother’s house in Tisa’s sitio Manga at 7 a.m. yesterday.

Parba was tagged as the suspect behind the murder of John Carlo Bardinas, 23, his friend, and alleged right hand.

SPO3 Rey Cuyos of the Homicide Section said they arrested Parba with the help of Diola, personnel of the City Intelligence Branch and Parba’s neighbor.

Cuyos, the lead investigator of the case, said Parba ran away after killing Bardinas at 9 a.m. last Sunday.

He returned yesterday dawn and proceeded to his mother’s house where he slept and got arrested a few hours later.

Cuyos said the police seized a loaded caliber .45 pistol from Parba and found an empty shell of the same caliber from the crime scene.

The police investigator said they are yet to submit Parba to a tactical interrogation as he seemed “still high on drugs” when arrested.

Parba denied the accusation, saying that he doesn’t know Bardinas although he later claimed to know him.

But his 17-year-old niece alleged she was at her room at the upper floor of the house when she heard a burst of gunfire at her uncle’s room.

She disclosed that her uncle uses and even sells illegal drugs.

She lives with him in the house as Parba feeds her and her family.

Bardinas was found dead at Parba’s house Sunday morning with a bullet wound to his head.  (FREEMAN)