MANILA, Philippines – Two suspected members of a robbery gang preying on fish traders in Navotas were found dead near the city’s fish port complex, each with a gunshot wound in the head and chest.
Navotas Fish Port Complex police and security division chief Arfil Catipay yesterday said Rico Batiancila, 31, a resident of Road 10 in Barangay North Bay Boulevard North, Navotas City and Noli Villan, 33, alias Noli Pagkit, also of Barangay NBBN, could have been killed somewhere else and dumped at the fish port complex to confused investigators.
“The victims’ group is linked by the police to recent robbery cases victimizing mostly fish traders of the Navotas Fish Port Complex and also of the Malabon fish market,” Catipay told The STAR.
He said Batiancila’s body was found floating at the back portion of Market 3 around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday night, while Villan’s body, was discovered by a fish trader inside a plastic tub dumped with trash also at the back of Market 3 at around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Catipay said both victims have pending robbery cases at the local courts and were also tagged in the recent killings in Barangay NBBN.