CEBU, Philippines - Murder charges were filed yesterday afternoon against four suspects including a police official who was implicated in the murder of businessman and hotelier Richard King last June 12.
According to a report, the assailant allegedly agreed to the killing in exchange for P30,000.
Criminal charges were filed against Superintendent Leonardo Felonia who surrendered Monday night to Mayor Rodrigo Duterte after one of the three arrested suspects in the killing of King claimed that he hired them to kill the businessman.
King’s younger brother James filed the charges at the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office.
Felonia is the head of the Philippine National Police Regional Intelligence Office of Region 11 until he was relieved and placed under restriction at police headquarters last Monday.
Also charged were Paul Dave Molina Labang, 24, the alleged gunman; and brothers Rommel and Rodel dela Cerna who were identified as the lookout and the driver of the getaway motorcycle that Labang used to escape from the crime scene.
Authorities earlier arrested Labang who shot King in the head at close range while the hotelier was having dinner with his staff at his Vital C Health and Wellness Products building along Sobrecary St., Barangay Obrero in Davao City.
I did it for P30,000
Labang allegedly confessed to Danao, as witnessed by, GMA Davao reporter Real Soroche and representatives from King’s family, that he was given P30,000 to kill King.
Sorroche said he was the only media personality allowed to enter the room where Labang, Davao City police director Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao Jr. and the King family met.
Sorroche said that in front of Danao and King’s family he admitted to killing the businessman for only P30,000. He was allegedly crying when he asked the King family for forgiveness, he claimed that he did not even know who King was until the next day when his death was reported by the media.
Labang, a resident of Toril district in Davao City, reportedly identified Felonia as the one who hired them to kill King. The gunman claimed that Felonia made them believe King was involved in the illegal drug trade.
“Una Ka Baiâ€, a GMA Davao morning television program aired the report of Sorroche where Labang said that he was with two other accomplices when he killed King. The Dela Cernas served as a look out and the driver.
Duterte told Felonia not to surrender to him but rather to the National Bureau of Investigation. Felonia was immediately brought to the NBI Region 11 office in Davao City.
He denied the accusations against him and made it clear that he brought himself before the authorities to clear his name. He also vowed to prove that he has nothing to do with the King case.
Danao said the motive of the killing is still being determined.
A P1.3-million reward was earlier offered to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of the suspects in the killing.
King headed the J. King & Sons Co. Inc., developer of Crown Regency, Club Ultima and the City Suites Ramos Tower in Cebu City. He also owned the Crown Regency Hotel along Cabaguio Avenue in Davao City and was the founder and director of Boracay Multiple Properties Inc. that established the Crown Regency Boracay Resort.
Vital C Health and Wellness Products was King’s latest business venture. — Philippine STAR News Service with Bryner L. Diaz