Valenzuela 'chop-chop' murder puzzles cops

MANILA, Philippines - The Valenzuela City police remain clueless yesterday on the identity of the killers of a barangay chairman’s nephew, whose body parts were found scattered in another barangay.

Police Officer 2 Josefino Pagtama said that they were still in the middle of their investigation on the murder of former Barangay Karuhatan watchman Julius Caco, 30, a nephew of chairman Nicomedes Caco.

“The victim’s kin as well as the persons last seen with him before his chopped-up body was uncovered are cooperating with our investigation. But we are still digging deeper into the case,” Pagtama told The STAR.

He said they could not yet find “grounds” for the murder.

Pagtama said the victim’s body bore two stab wounds in the chest and a wound in the left hand, indicating that his attackers killed him first before they cut him to pieces.

Caco’s hands, feet and left thigh were found in a sack in front of Arbor Town subdivision in Barangay Gen. T. de Leon at around 1:45 a.m.

Around an hour later, another sack containing Caco’s torso and right thigh was found along Angeles street and at about 3:10 a.m., some of his body parts were found in another sack on Delupio street, still in Barangay Gen. T. de Leon.

Pagtama said Caco was having a drinking bout in front of the house of Ariel Domingo with Enrico Basilio and a certain Mang Joni on Padrigal street in Barangay Karuhatan Friday night.

“According to the victim’s drinking buddies, they all went home before midnight, leaving Caco alone in the area,” Pagtama said.

Pagtama said according to Barangay Karuhatan officials, Caco was sacked as one of their watchmen because he was a drunkard.