Freed, killed 4 days later
SHORT-LIVED LIBERTY FOR 2 ‘THIEVES’
Juniel Abatayo, 29, and Alejardo Salomag, 44, were behind bars Sunday in Lapu-Lapu City, waiting for the official filing of carnapping charges against them.
That day, they were arrested in Barangay Mananga, Talisay City and were turned over to the police in Lapu-Lapu City, where they were tagged suspects in a recent motor-napping incident.
By stroke of luck, the complainant did not show up within the 72-hour reglementary period for filing the case. Thus, Abatayo and Salomag were released from detention.
But the freedom was short-lived.
They were found dead with gunshot wounds at daybreak yesterday in Sitio Kambaye, Barangay Campo 8 in Toledo City, some 17 kilometers away from their known residence in Barangay Lagtang, Talisay City.
Relatives who rushed to the scene positively identified the duo.
Police Supt. Randy Korret, chief of Toledo City police, told The FREEMAN that based on the initial investigation, the two had been dead for three hours when police responded to the area.
Korret said the two were brought intentionally to Campo 8 and were killed there by their assailants. However, police are still facing a blank wall as to who may have staged the killing.
The victims were allegedly behind the series of motor-napping incidents in the first district, particularly in the City of Naga and the neighboring town of Minglanilla.
Last Sunday, the owner of a motorcycle allegedly stolen by the two decided not to pursue legal charges against them.
“Talisay police turned them over to Lapu-Lapu police. But they were released by Lapu-Lapu police after the reglementary period (within 72 hours of arrest, case has to be filed) expired. The victim did not file a case,” said Korret in Tagalog.
‘NOT SALVAGE VICTIMS’
Korret insisted that the two should not be tagged as “salvage victims,” since the term connotes that the killing was state-sponsored.
“If we say “salvage,” it’s like state-sponsored. So we can say that it was a shooting incident only and the intention was really to kill them there,” he said.
Part of the investigation is to check whether Abatayo and Salomag were killed by their own group mates after investigation showed that they belonged to a motor-napping group.
“May tinitingnan na angle na grupo ng carnapper, baka nagkalaglagan or hindi nagkaintindihan,” Korret said.
Another possible angle is drugs but this still needs to be established, he added.
Korret also said they are verifying the statement of one of the witnesses, who claimed seeing a gray vehicle coming from Campo 7 in Minglanilla, which stopped right at the crime scene.
The witness, whose identity is withheld, also claimed hearing gunshots.
Korret, however, took with a grain of salt the witness’ claims as the witness was somewhat far from the actual crime scene, about a hundred meters away.
Police Regional Office-7 director Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, in a press conference yesterday, said he has ordered the local police to dig deeper into the killing.