2 ‘thrill killers’ nabbed in Pampanga

ANGELES CITY —Backed by lawyers and some "influence," they seemed to have gotten off lightly despite the police tagging them as "thrill killers" involved in at least seven murders and other crimes in Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Southern Tagalog since last year.

But after they allegedly raped three women last March 16 and robbed their Angeles City apartment of cash and valuables worth P331,000, they apparently had pushed their luck too far.

Senior Superintendent Policarpio Segubre, Angeles City police chief, said the suspects, Rodel Tiglao and Melvin Dizon, are now behind bars and face charges of multiple rape and robbery based on the complaint of the three women.

"We effected the arrest while the suspects were attending classes at the Pampanga Agricultural College (in Magalang town) despite initial protest from school officials. The rape victims were with the policemen and they identified the two as their violators," Segubre said.

Segubre said two other suspects, both still unidentified, in the rape-robbery are still at large.

Mayor Carmelo Lazatin commended Segubre for the arrest of the suspects, saying the two were also involved "in senseless killings, robberies and rape cases" in the city and neighboring towns.

Last month, police picked up Tiglao and Dizon after they were implicated in the execution-style killing of three male youths in Barangay San Francisco, Mabalacat town last Feb. 3 and in a robbery-killing in Barangay Pandan here last Feb. 5.

Sebugre, however, said the two were later ordered released by the city prosecutor’s office due to some technicalities in their arrest.

Senior Superintendent Dindo Espina, Pampanga police director, described the suspects, including their two cohorts, as "thrill killers."

Police earlier also tagged Tiglao and Dizon in the killings of a policeman in the City of San Fernando last Dec. 14 and a barangay security volunteer and the wounding of three others in a holdup in Barangay Panipuan, also in San Fernando, last Dec. 27.

They were also implicated in the kidnap-slaying of a female employee of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority whose body was found in Lubao town last Feb. 6.

"More charges are to be filed against them. I am appealing to the other victims or their relatives to come to the police and testify against them for the other crimes they are believed to have been involved in," Segubre said.