Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Arturo Lomibao presented the suspects yesterday to the media and members of the Chinese-Filipino Business Club (CFBC), which offered a P100,000 reward to anyone who could provide information leading to the arrest of the killers.
Lomibao identified the suspects as Gerson Garcia; Gener Castro; Danilo Milante and Erlinda Lachica, all from Balintawak, Quezon City.
The PNP chief said the four were among the eight suspects in the killing of Ephraim Go Young and his wife Gwendolyn during a robbery on Araneta Avenue near E. Rodriguez Avenue in Quezon City last May 5.
The couple had just withdrawn money from a nearby bank when the armed robbers approached their car and announced the robbery. The couple locked the car’s doors, but robbers broke the window, shot them and grabbed the bag containing the cash.
Four other suspects, identified as Nilo Casuela, the alleged leader of the group, Alma, Bryan and R.B., are now the subject of a manhunt by the PNP.
Chief Superintendent Ricardo Quinto, director of the PNP-Traffic Management Group, said the suspects are members of the Waray-Waray criminal group.
The TMG, in close coordination with the Central Police District, under Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan, made the arrests.
Quinto said Garcia was arrested near his house on Cristobal street in Balintawak, Quezon City last May 10 while about to board an owner-type jeep.
When frisked, officers found in his possession of a fully loaded caliber .45 pistol, which police believes was used to kill the couple.
Further investigation revealed that the stolen jeep seized from Garcia was the one used in the robbery. Garcia features matched the artist’s sketch provided by witnesses.
During interrogation, Garcia admitted driving the getaway motorcycle also used in the robbery.
Garcia later cooperated with police, resulting in the arrest of the other suspects.
Garcia and Castro admitted taking part in the robbery. They had received P150,000 each. Milante and Lachica admitted they were the tipsters of the group.
"The modus operandi of this group was to send cohorts to a bank and look for a prospective victims. It was the case of the Young couple, Lachica saw them withdraw large amount of money and they were targeted," Quinto said.
Lawyer Frederick Young, the brother of Ephraim Young, thanked authorities for the immediate arrest of the suspects.
The CFBC and Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce Inc. (FFCCCI) also commended the police for their swift response.
The FFCCCI had donated at least 10 motorcycles to the PNP in their operations.
"We need a peaceful environment. No investor will come if there is no peace and order in the streets," said Domingo Yap of the FFCCCI.
Earlier, Filipino-Chinese businessmen expressed alarm over the recent spate of killings and asked police to intensify the campaign against lawless elements.
Laogan noted that the CFBC, led by their president Rufino Kopio, met with Lomibao to personally request him to intensify campaign against lawless elements to make citizens feel safe once again.