7 members of same family wanted for murder

MANILA, Philippines - At least seven members of the same family are the subjects of an arrest warrant for allegedly murdering their neighbor in Caloocan City in November last year.

Caloocan City police chief Senior Superintendent Jude Wilson Santos yesterday ordered the immediate issuance of a warrant for the arrest of Ernesto Jr., 33; Maria; Ricardo; Ronald; Mary Ann and a 16-year-old girl, all surnamed Marcos and residents of 1633 Interior Sitio Libis, Bagbaguin, Caloocan City. They are not related to the Marcoses of Ilocos Norte.

Witnesses said Ernesto Jr. and Rolando Pangan stabbed dead Alvin Quinones, 33, on Nov. 4, 2009. The rest of the Marcoses were being charged with obstruction of justice in relation to Quinones’ killing.

Thirty-two of the Marcoses’ neighbors in Sitio Libis were the ones who filed charges against them before the city prosecutor’s office.

Quinones’ younger sister, Shirley Lampano, 31, earlier gave a sworn statement before the city prosecutor’s office naming Ernesto Jr. and Pangan as the principal suspects.

Witness Marcelo Francisco, 57, said he saw the suspects chasing the victim then taking turns stabbing him after he tripped and fell.

In a petition letter addressed to Santos, 32 residents of Barangay 165 in Bagbaguin denounced the alleged “illegal activities of the Marcos family” in their locality.

The residents alleged that the Marcos family did not surrender the suspects to the authorities and tried to prevent them from being sent to jail. – Jerry Botial