The group, dubbed by the police as "Voltes 5," was tagged in the slaying of 20-year-old Jim Carlo Calub, who was held up inside a mega-taxi on the night of June 24 along Taft Avenue near Remedios street in Malate, Manila.
Calub tried to put up a fight and was able to jump off the vehicle, but the suspects chased him and took turns stabbing him.
The victim was declared dead on arrival at the Manila Doctors Hospital. The suspects managed to escape.
After several weeks, operatives of the Western Police District’s District Police Intelligence Unit (WPD-DPIU), led by Senior Inspector Joselito Sta. Teresa, managed to track down the suspects at their safehouse in Bambang street in Sta. Cruz.
WPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong presented the five suspects to the media yesterday.
The suspects were identified as Michael Llaneta, 21; Jonathan Capati, 22; Herbert Malubay, William Sudayao, 31; and Amador Ablaña, 25. Seized from the group were assorted fan knives and several cellular phones.
Bulaong said Llaneta and Malubay were the alleged killers. The two were also caught wearing the police blue shirt uniforms, which, according to Bulaong the suspects used to prey on their victims by pretending to be policemen.
The suspects will be charged with robbery with murder, according to Sta. Teresa.
Meanwhile, police also presented yesterday the third suspect in the robbery-holdup of a computer shop in Paco, Manila last week.
Eduardo Lerios, alias Tembong, 23, was positively identified by his victims as one of five men who robbed the Ragnarok Online Game Computer Shop last July 7.
Lerios was also the alleged gunman who tried to shoot shop owner Johnny Pelino. More than P100,000 worth of computer parts, cash and personal belongings were taken by the suspects, who are believed responsible for the series of computer shop robberies in Manila.
Police arrested last Friday the other two suspects Rogel Ramos, 28; and Alexander Garcia, 19. Two others identified as "Dekdek" and "Ryan" remain at large.