Police going after Solima slay brains

The police’s investigation into the killing of lawyer Salvador Solima will continue even with the arrest and the filing of charges against suspect Ricarte Del Coro.

Cebu City Police Office Director, Senior Supt. Royina Garma, said they are looking into the possibility that a mastermind is behind the brutal shooting of Solima and his wife, Verose last Monday.

Garma said it is "too soon" to consider the case closed.

"It's not closed kasi dalawa ang suspect, isa lang ang naidentify at nahuli, so maybe may mastermind or something… we have to investigate further but it's not necessary na closed siya and we will stop," Garma said.

As of yesterday, the police have considered brothers Alberto and Alvin Baluyos as suspects. They were invited for questioning last Tuesday only as persons of interest.

Chief Supt. Ryan Devaras, chief of CCPO’s Investigation and Detective Management Branch, said three witnesses have come forward and testified that the brothers were at the area hours before the shooting last Monday afternoon. Devaras said the brothers could be “scouting” for getaway routes.

"They were there before nahitabo ang shooting incident – hours before – niya nilakaw sila kay naa sila transaction with attorney. and, pipila ka hours later, mao na to,” he said.

"Possible nag-scout and possibly served as lookout. Possible usa nila ang ikaduha (gunman). But (either way) they were positively identified," Devaras added.

The brothers are detained at the city police office and will be charged formally today.

Alberto has already denied any participation, saying he could not have possibly hurt Solima because the lawyer freed him from a robbery and homicide case. Solima even reportedly offered that he stay at his house temporarily after he was released from jail.

“Dili man ko mahulog look-out kay matag semana kay muanha man mi, maningil, kay naa man utang. Si attorney, giisip na nako nga amahan kay siya mao nagpalaya nako… mao na akong abogado sa akong kaso. Dili gyud na nako mahimo,” Alberto said the other day.

The debt Alberto mentioned was the payment for the two-story house Velrose reportedly bought from him worth P7.5 million.

Del Coro also denied being arrested in a buybust operation like what the police announced but Garma said it is “second nature” for suspects to deny accusations.

Police said they arrested Del Corro during a buy bust operation in Barangay Labangon last Tuesday morning.

The suspect was arrested with 10 packs of shabu, a .38 caliber pistol, a mobile phone, and cash amounting to P400.

Learning that Del Corro's alias is “Blue Fox” and with the homicide police looking for someone with the alias “blue paks,” authorities brought in the witness in Solima's killing to take a look at Del Corro.

The witness identified Del Corro positively as one of those who pretended to be Solima's clients and pulled the trigger on the Solima couple.

"Siyempre, may alibi depende if aamin yan at magexecute ng affidavit, admit na siya lahat may gawa. But we have to prove it kung ang sinabi niya ay totoo. Lahat naman magsasabi na wala. We are used to that na wala talagang aamin," Garma said.

She added that they are also looking into the supposed debt, which may have prompted Alberto to kill the couple.

The police are also looking into the drug cases Solima handled as possible motive for the killing.

"Naa pa lain motive gitan-aw kay nag-handle baya ni drug cases si Atty. There is possibility pud nga naa mu-inflict og harm sa mga lawyers... naa'y mga bigtime drug personality nga could be na-handle ni Atty. Solima during his time. And wala siguro ma-satisfy. Usa sad ni sa motive," Devaras said.

Velrose is now in stable condition.