Claudine slay case solved?

The Parañaque police has declared the rape-slay case of La Salle coed Claudine Feliciano closed even as the search for three other suspects continues.

Superintendent Ronald Estilles, Parañaque City police chief, told a radio interview that the arrest of the two suspects last Friday has provided them with conclusive evidence to convict all of the individuals involved in the case.

A composite team led by Estilles apprehended Ernesto Berry, a welder from Muntinlupa City last Thursday. The following day a certain Nieves Constancio alias "Boy Tisoy, Alejandro Versosa, or Jojo" was also arrested in an operation conducted in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.

During the interrogation of Berry yesterday, Estilles disclosed that Constancio along with three other men were identified as the suspects involved in the rape and murder of Feliciano.

Berry claimed that they saw Feliciano coming out of the Ayala-Alabang subdivision on the evening of March 10 and decided to go after the lone lady driver.

On board an FX-van, the suspects cut infront of Feliciano’s car and approached her to inform her of a supposedly flat tire in her car.

Feliciano reportedly pulled down her window to hear what the suspects were saying at which point, one of them tried to snatch the cellphone she was carrying.

After failing to snatch the cellphone, the three other passengers of the van went down and inconspicuously punctured a tire of Feliciano’s car.

As soon as Feliciano put her guard down, the three men boarded her car and drove her all the way to their hideout in Marigold St. Las Piñas.

It was in Las Piñas where Feliciano was reportedly raped by Constancio, one alias Burog, another, alias Donald and a certain Jojo in a span of two to three hours.

Berry claimed that Jojo ordered him to leave while the four men were raping Feliciano. That is why, he claimed, he knew nothing about her death.

Estilles noted that the group was probably only after the cell-phone and only got interested when they saw how pretty Feliciano was.

He also pointed out that the men were under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

An informant was said to have contacted Parañaque Mayor Joey Marquez, providing him with the first lead on the case.

The information led the police to San Pedro, Laguna where Constancio was supposedly hiding out.

A number of bystanders in the area told police about Constancio’s narration of the death of a La Salle coed.

Estilles also disclosed that another witness came forward and told them about the dumping of Feliciano’s body in a creek in San Antonio Valley, Parañaque City.

Constancio reportedly went back to the area and started inquiring about the discovery of the body.

Estilles noted that the suspects might not have been certain whether Feliciano was already dead when they dumped her in the creek.

He added that the three other suspects would be arrested in the next few days as their hideouts are already known by the police.