4 suspects in rob-slay of ex-cop nabbed
Four suspects in the killing of a 56-year-old retired policeman were arrested 14 hours after they allegedly committed the crime.
Jano Mansera, 19; John Ian Amigable, 18; Arman Patulan, 21; and Carlito Barbon, 21, all residents of Sitio Lutaw-Lutaw in Barangay Labangon, were apprehended by the City Intelligence Branch of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), in coordination with the Investigation and Detection Management Branch (IDMB), past 2 p.m. yesterday in the same sitio.
Senior Inspector Narrolf Tan, deputy chief of Cebu City Intelligence Branch, said the suspects did not attempt to resist arrest.
Barbon and Patulan admitted they robbed retired policeman and taxi driver, Jose Mendrado Sering Jr., out of poverty.
The suspects claimed the victim resisted, which prompted them to shoot him. They were reportedly drunk when they rode Sering's cab.
Sering was found slumped in the driver's seat of his taxi with two bullet wounds in the right portion of his temple and right upper abdomen in Sitio Raphael Happy Valley, Barangay Labangon, Tuesday night.
Sering, who had the rank of Police Officer 2, served as a police officer in the province of Bohol until last year. He was from the Philippine National Police class 1990.
Tan said the area around the crime scene, a dim-lighted and grassy area, has been noted as a “robbery hotspot.” In fact, he said, last week a taxi driver was also robbed, fortunately, did not suffer the same fate as Sering. The driver reportedly surrendered all his earnings to the robbers.
Amigable and Mansera, however, claimed they went their separate ways after a drinking spree with Barbon and Patulan.
Based on the initial police investigation, Barbon and Patulan flagged down Sering's cab on N. Bacalso Avenue around 11 p.m. Tuesday.
CCPO Homicide investigator, SPO2 Wetzel Berry, said there are also indications that the victim was shot at close range.
But Barbon and Patulan are pointing fingers at each other as to who pulled the trigger.
Patulan claimed he sat at the back while Barbon seated on the passenger seat. He said it was Barbon who shot Sering.
But Barbon said it was Patulan. Patulan was imprisoned before for drug charges, while Babon was charged with murder.
The suspects carted away the victim's uncounted earnings, a tablet, and other valuable items.
However, the victim's wallet containing P2,120, two cellular phones, several identification cards, a brown bag, a reading glass, a PNP badge, as well as one slug of undetermined firearm were recovered from the crime scene.
Superintendent Ryan Devaras, chief of CPPO IDMB, said suspects are notorious robbers in the barangay.
He said the suspects would alternate roles during the conduct of a crime.
He added that a followup debriefing investigation is underway to properly get the profile of the suspects.
Suspects are temporarily detained inside CPPO headquarters' stockade pending the filing of charges.
Police are set to file a criminal complaint against Barbon and Patulan for robbery with homicide, while Amigable and Mansera will be charged with illegal possession of bladed weapon.