Seven men beat a son of a former military officer and severely injured his companion in front of a bar in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City early yesterday morning.
Carlo Jose Castellano, 31, an international pilot, died while being treated at the Makati Medical Center. He is said to be the son of retired general Cicero Castellano. His friend, Zedrick Ponce, 34, is undergoing treatment at the Rizal Medical Center.
According to an initial investigation, the victims went out of the Embassy bar at 4:45 a.m. and were walking towards the parking lot when the suspects, aboard a silver Mitsubishi Adventure (ZEE-715) stopped in front of them.
The suspects rushed out of the vehicle and took turns beating up Castellano and Ponce while the suspects’ female companions watched from inside the car.
Chief Inspector Celso Rodriguez, who heads the Taguig police investigation division, said the suspects attempted to escape but were thwarted by police officers who went to the scene upon receiving information about the incident.
The suspects were identified as Edmer Antonin, 22; Edmund Quirante, 25; Rolly Quirante, 37; Marvin Matias,28; Wilfred Quirante, 23; Julius Quirante, 20; Joseph Quirante, 26, all residents of Bagong Pag-asa in Quezon City. Their female companions were identified as Michelle Quirante and Rowena Sitchon.
Some of the suspects are reportedly balikbayans who are here for the holidays. Police said if they had not been immediately arrested, they would have left the country and the victims would not get justice.
Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga lauded the Taguig police for immediately responding to the incident.
“We strongly condemn this brutal killing, and to think that the suspects are not even residents of our city. Deliberately or not, these outsiders disrupt our otherwise peaceful city,” he said.
The city government is set to sit down with officials of the Bonifacio Estate Services Corp. to discuss beefing up security at The Fort to prevent violent incidents from occurring in the area.