P.7M offered to bail out suspect in multiple slays

Some prominent local politicians tried to bail out the principal suspect in the killing of six laborers of a metal smelting plant last Sunday in Caloocan City.

This developed as suspected mastermind, Barangay Bignay chairman Graciano "Garcing" Victoriano told The STAR his being implicated in the multiple slays was politically motivated.

The STAR gathered from reliable sources that at least "a known personality at City Hall, whom he did not name, offered P700,000 "to settle the case."

The same source said the offer was made before Victoriano was presented for inquest at the Caloocan City Prosecutor’s Office last Thursday afternoon.

The barangay chairman was tagged by his own barangay tanod executive officer, Santiago Lumabao, as the one who actually participated in the murder of the workers.

The source, however, said that the deal offered did not progress to more detailed specifics as the officials, to whom the offer was made, immediately cut them down to size.

"Sorry folks, but we have a solid case against the chairman. No deal," the official was quoted as saying.

Inside his cell at the police station, Victoriano blamed politics for his plight.

"Wala akong alam dito. Tinuro na lang ako basta. Wala akong ginagawa kundi makatulong sa kapwa, hindi ko alam kung bakit ako sinabit dito. Pulitika siguro ang dahilan," he said.

He refused to elaborate. "Yan na muna ang masasabi ko. Wala pa ang mga abogado ko."

When sought for comment, City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian refused to comment.

The STAR later gathered that Victoriano was also identified with a former mayor of the city.

The suspect’s friends, from opposing sides of the political fence, started flocking to the police station as soon as they got wind of his arrest last Wednesday.

Among the first to see the beleaguered Victoriano were colleagues from the Liga ng mga Barangay of Valenzuela City, including Pasolo chairman Amadeo "Boy" Constantino.

"Nagulat ako. Ngayon ko lang nalaman. Napakabuting tao niyan," Constantino said in Victoriano’s defense.