3 brothers arrested for killing of 3 high school students

BALUNGAO, Pangasinan, Philippines – Police have arrested three brothers for the gun-slaying of three third-year high school students here Friday night. 

SPO1 Andres Vendiola, police investigator, identified the arrested suspects as Domingo de Jesus, 38, and his brothers Jovito, 36, and Saturnino, 30, all residents of Barangay San Raymundo here.

They were tagged in the killing of Paul Bryan Villapa, Bryan Luna and Mike Sapili, all aged 14 and juniors at the Balungao National High School.

Senior Superintendent Rosueto, provincial police director, said police tried to arrest another suspect, a certain SPO2 Loreto Florendo, in Umingan town Saturday night but failed.

Viraluz Raguindin, schools superintendent of Pangasinan Division 2, said, “We grieve so much over the loss of our three innocent and promising youths. We condemn such cruelty which they do not deserve.”

She said she would meet with school officials today to tackle appropriate actions they should take about the incident.

She added that Education Secretary Armin Luistro was to visit the wake of the three victims last night.

Rosueto said he was informed that three witnesses have subscribed to their affidavits before acting provincial prosecutor Noel Bince and that charges of multiple murder and attempted murder were set to be filed yesterday.

He said police were working on the necessary documents for the seizure of the high-powered firearms used by the suspects in the killing. 

Police recovered 20 empty M-16 shells, an empty M-14 shell and three empty carbine shells at the crime scene. 

One of the victims’ companions, RJ Sobrevilla, also aged 14, escaped unhurt. 

Rosueto said they consider the case “solved” because of the arrest of the suspects and the filing of charges against them.

Reggie Villapa, father of one of the victims, positively identified the three brothers who he said he met on the road hurriedly fleeing on foot carrying long firearms after the incident.

Villapa was riding on a motorcycle while following from a distance his son and his classmates who were then walking on their way home after attending a wake. 

Another witness said he saw the suspects in the same wake and left after the high school students decided to go home past 11 p.m. Friday.

Based on police investigation, the suspects were angry at the elder Villapa who they believed knew about the killing of their brother in Tarlac a month ago. The suspects’ slain brother was hogtied and his head crushed with a hard object. 

But the De Jesuses did not file any case against Villapa who only learned about the grudge the brothers had against him from other people.