P.2-million reward up for Tetangco-Yap slay suspects

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – The police has offered a P200,000 reward to anyone who can help solve the murder of a brother of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor and his two companions here on June 2, said Tetangco-Yap Task Force head Senior Superintendent Wendy Rosario.

This, even as Rosario told The Star his task force is poised to file charges of obstruction of justice against one of about 11 witnesses for refusing to cooperate with his task force which was formed to investigate the killing of Rene Tetangco, brother of BSP governer Amando Tetangco, and his companions Florencio Yap and Dennis Guinto whose bodies were found in Yap’s van on a vacant lot here.

Rosario declined to identify the uncooperative witness who, he noted, had ignored probers since last Monday.

Rosario said that the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has offered the P200,000 reward to anyone whose information could lead to the arrest of the suspects.

He said that as of yesterday, no suspect has been tagged although his task force is poised to drop robbery as motive in the case, but the wallets, cellphones and jewelry of the victims were missing when their bodies were found.

“We initially thought that Yap was the main target of the suspects and that Tetangco and Guinto were mere collateral victims. But further investigations have shown that the three had been involved in the same gambling activities and business deals, so it could be that the suspects targeted them all,” Rosario said.

He said probers are now looking into their links with cockfighting operations, as well as into the alleged debts incurred by Yap on his poultry farm in Mexico town.

He said that seven out of 11 persons have already given their statements to police investigators. Among those invited for their statements were outgoing Bacolor Mayor Romeo “Buddy” Dungca and former provincial board member Dinan Labung.

The victims were on their way to King’s Poker and Sports Club here on the night of June 2 to play poker with Dungca and Labung. The three never reached their destination and were later found dead with multiple gunshot wounds from M-16 rifle.

Dungca, in an interview with The Star, confirmed that he was at King’s on the night of June 2 and that he, together with Labung were supposed to play poker with the victims.

Dungca denied any conflict with Yap, amid reports that agents from the National Bureau of Investigation have been inquiring into his alleged rift with the businessman.