Last suspect in killing of Grade 10 scholar surrenders
THE last suspect behind the murder of a Grade 10 scholar in Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City on Aug. 6, 2022 has finally turned himself in.
John, 15, surrendered before Cebu City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 25, in order to clear himself of allegations that he helped in killing Jerome Estan.
John surrendered to Alcover three days after his older brother, Peter, 16, also turned himself in to Alcover.
The siblings had been hunted down after they were pinpointed to have stabbed Estan to death on the evening of Aug. 6.
During his meeting with Alcover, John denied allegations that he was the one who stabbed the 16-year-old Estan.
However, he admitted that he and his older brother were present at the time Estan was stabbed to death.
He said they were just there to meet someone when they noticed a commotion where Estan was located.
John said he and his brother joined those who fled the area when another group of minors allegedly attacked Estan.
Jay Abatayo of the Cebu City Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS) told reporters that John, like his older brother, cannot be turned over to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) as arresting them would not be covered under a hot pursuit operation.
For now, John and Peter will be placed under the DSWS’ custody until such time that the court will issue an arrest warrant against the two, Abatayo added.
During an interview with social workers, the siblings said that a day after the crime, they were just doing their usual routine when they were informed that they were being implicated in Estan’s murder.
Enough evidence
But in a separate interview, Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla, CCPO’s deputy director for administration, said they had enough evidence to prove that the siblings stabbed Estan.
Parilla said some of the evidence they gathered to prove the siblings’ role was the transcript of chats between them and the other suspects.
Earlier this month, CCPO investigators filed charges of robbery with homicide against five men, majority of whom were minors, who were involved in Estan’s murder.