Investigation into murder suspect’s death underway

CEBU CITY — An investigation is underway to determine whether the principal suspect in the murder of two Chinoy hardware store owners here, indeed committed suicide inside his detention cell at Camp Sotero Cabahug early Monday morning.

Rufino Alacre, who confessed to his involvement in the murder of cousins John Clemens Go and Brian Kirby Go three days ago, was initially believed to have committed suicide. Alacre had worked for the Go family.

What seemed odd was that his knees and thighs were bound and his mouth stuffed with cloth when he was found hanging inside the bathroom of the office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

A two-meter long nylon rope was tied around his neck with the other end attached to a beam on the bathroom’s ceiling. The circumstances surrounding Alacre’s suicide did appear odd as a police official said.

Homicide chief Doroteo Mantos said the manner with which Alacre committed suicide was unusual, pointing out that in the years he had been with the homicide section, he had not encountered such a situation.

But he clarified that the homicide section would not be conducting any investigation as it had not received any order to do so from higher police authorities.

His office asked though for a copy of the spot report from the CIDG regarding the reported suicide of Alacre. Mantos said that if anyone wants to commit suicide, he will do any and all means to consummate the act.

CIDG agent Delfin Bontuyan discovered Alacre’s body early Monday morning when he was about to escort him to the office of CIDG director Edwin Diocos.

Alacre was supposed to meet his brother-in-law Ruben Ago who also confessed that he saw Alacre kill the two young owners of Filmon Hardware. Ago was arrested by CIDG agents in Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte.

Police theorized that Alacre tied his knees and legs with a cloth, probably to make himself incapable of self-rescue when he would feel the pain from hanging.

Police added that Alacre then stood on the toilet bowl, tied one end of the rope around his neck and the other on the beam on the ceiling, and then jumped to end his life.

"To avoid speculations of a whitewash, we will ask our central office to investigate the case," Diocos told reporters.

The Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division will also conduct a separate probe to determine the liability of SP03 Reynaldo Apostol who was allegedly the only policeman left at the CIDG when Alacre committed suicide.

Diocos admitted though the failure of his men to remove all items inside the cell that could possibly be used by any prisoner to hang himself such as the small rope that held the curtain.

Arresting officers recovered a suicide note from Alacre’s wallet during his arrest last Friday in Barangay Lupasang, Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has urged police higher-ups to conduct an investigation into the cause of Alacre’s death to clear police of doubts that Alacre was summarily executed.

"An investigation is but proper to clear the police," Ombudsman-Visayas director Virginia Palanca-Santiago said.

Asked if the Ombudsman will initiate an investigation into the possible liability of the police, Santiago said they will, if asked to do so.

Gov. Pablo Garcia, on the other hand, believes that security lapses in the CIDG office were to blame for the incident and that the administrative officer for that day may be administratively sanctioned.

Alacre’s wife, Avilana, and parents-in-law, Faustino and Vivencia Ago, were convinced that the murder suspect had committed suicide.

With the death of Alacre, police filed charges of robbery with double homicide and serious physical injuries, forcible abduction and car theft against Ago the other day.

Ago, in a press conference at Camp Sotero Cabahug, admitted he was with Alacre when the latter attacked the Go cousins. He said he only hogtied the two young men while it was Alacre who killed them.

He said they used the car of Brian Kirby as a getaway vehicle and took Karen Go, Brian’s sister, as brief hostage before they fled.

Ago said he only received P500 from Alacre as share of the loot. The suspects took a Nokia 6210 cellular phone worth P12,000, two watches worth P24,000, and P2,000 in cash from Brian’s car. — Freeman News Service