Two Amorsolo paintings stolen in QC

Police are looking for four unidentified armed men who robbed an art gallery in Quezon City Sunday and carted away coveted Amorsolo paintings worth about P3 million.

Complainant Fe Esteruna de Pio, 51, of 37-C Lantana St., Barangay Immaculate Concepcion, claimed he was hogtied and gagged by robbers inside his art gallery.

The suspects, one of whom was identified as a certain Ronald Fajardo, fled after forcibly taking several paintings, two by the famous painter Fernando Amorsolo.

Investigation showed that the incident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. inside De Pio’s art gallery in Barangay Immaculate Concepcion. The complainant was waiting for his wife, who was attending Mass at a nearby church.

De Pio decided to close shop early but two of the robbers barged inside and pointed their handguns, then hogtied and gagged him.

The robbers took several paintings and boarded a silver-gray Tamaraw FX (WHK-687) where the other suspects, possibly including Fajardo, were inside.

The complainant told police that Fajardo visited his art gallery last July 28 and pretended to be an art buyer. Fajardo reportedly looked at the work of famous painters but left the store without buying anything.

Meanwhile, the police filed yesterday murder charges against the five suspects in the brutal slaying of a police inspector in Taytay, Rizal last July 24.

Charged in the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office were Ricardo Cruz, alias Galman, William Raymundo, 23: Renato Dianala; Edgardo Caruncho, 33, and Carlos Hunio, 25, all residents of Velasquez street in Barangay San Juan, Taytay. The five suspects were positively identified by witness, Edwin Espino, 26, as the killers of Police Inspector German Hepuller, 37, assigned at the Eastern Police District (EPD) operations division.

Hepuller’s brutally-tortured body was fished out of the Floodway area of the Pasig River last July 28. His tongue was protruding, his penis severed, and his abdomen emptied of its internal organs.

Espino said he and the lawman attended a wake in their neighborhood before midnight of July 24. He said he left Hepuller to buy a cellcard for his mobile phone.

On his way back, Espino said he saw the suspects, dragging the unconscious Hepuller’s into a tricycle. They then brought him to the warehouse in the floodway area where the cop was tortured and killed.

Espino said he later saw the suspects carrying a wooden box, with Hepuller’s feet dangling out, which they dumped in the Pasig River.

It was Cruz who opened Hepuller’s abdomen and emptied it of its internal organs, police sources said.

Cruz also tried to sell Hepuller’s nickel-plated Taurus 9 mm. automatic pistol to a local buyer. Police failed to recover the handgun. Cruz and the five suspects denied the charges against them.

But Chief Superintendent George Aliño, EPD director said Cruz had an ax to grind against Hepuller, whom he tagged as an obstruction to his alleged drug peddling in Barangay San Juan.

After Hepuller slapped Cruz’ mother and sister during a recent raid, Cruz accused the cop of being merciless and vowed to get even with him in due time. – Matthew Estabillo and Non Alquitran