Businessman shot dead in Zambales

A 54-year old businessman was shot dead by still unidentified men in Zambales province Tuesday, the police chief said.

Senior Superintendent Rolando Felix said Steve Lee was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding men at broad daylight and a few meters away from the provincial capitol in Iba town.

Initial investigation revealed that Lee was in front of Kafe Tolyo when the suspects drove near him and shot him several times.

The victim was immediately brought to the Iba Provincial Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival by the attending doctor.

Police have immediately launched manhunt operations against the suspects, believed to have headed north as authorities were still determining the motive behind the attack.

Recovered from the crime scene were several shells from a caliber .45 pistol. By Abigail Kwok - INQUIRER.net

Korean family massacre case in Olongapo solved

OLONGAPO CITY – The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) declared the massacre of a Korean family in Olongapo City a case closed with the arrest and booking of the three suspects in the crime.

Senior Superintendent Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar, CIDG Region 3 director, said robbery, multiple homicide and rape charges have already been filed over the weekend against Dario Basalla, 34; Ronilo Cada, 49; and Tony Baclay.

The suspects fell one after the other and had been positively identified by witnesses presented by the Zambales CIDG, under Supt. Maristelo Manalo, during their inquest before the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office.

"The complex crime is now docketed under IS Nos. I-08-A-130 to 132," said Eleazar of the killing of Koreans Seok Hei Jang, 54; Suna Yoo, 32; and Haneul Baek, 9. (Mar T. Supnad - TEMPO)

Suspects in rape-slay of 3 Koreans nabbed

OLONGAPO City policemen have arrested three men believed to be involved in the brutal killing of three Koreans on June 29 at Iram Resettlement Site in Barangay Cabalan in the city.

City Police Chief Abelardo Villacorta identified the suspects as Dario Basalla, 34; Willy Visda, 32; and Ronilo Cada, 49.

According to Villacorta, Visda has an existing warrant of arrest for attempted estafa issued by the Olongapo Municipal Trial Court (MTC) while Cada has an existing arrest warrant for murder issued by MTC of Lagonoy, Camarines Sur.

The arrest of the suspects came a few days after Villacorta led the forming of Task Force Baek composed of operatives of the Olongapo City Police Office, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Bureau Investigation (NBI).

Villacorta said the motive behind the killing could be the interest of Cada's family in the land where the Koreans built their house.

Basalla and Visda were arrested last Wednesday at Iram Resettlement Site while Cada was arrested in Barangay Mabayuan, Olongapo City after he allegedly visited the victims at the funeral parlor were their bodies were being kept.

Last July 27, three Korean nationals Soek hei Jang, 54; Suna Yoo, 32; and her nine-year-old daughter Hanuel Baek were found dead inside their house at Iram Resettlement Site.

"Medico-Legal revealed that Suna Yoo and her nine-year-old daughter were also raped," Villacorta said.

The suspects were charged with robbery with multiple homicides and rape before the Olongapo City Prosecutor's Office last Thursday. Two other suspects remained at large as of Saturday afternoon. By Anthony Bayarong - SunStar

2 of 5 suspects in robbery-slay of Korean family nabbed

Police in Central Luzon on Thursday said they already have in custody two of the five suspects in the robbery and killing of three South Korean nationals in Zambales province last Sunday.

Senior Supt. Guillermo Eleazar of the regional police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) however refused to disclose the identities of the two men so as not to compromise the ongoing operations against the three remaining suspects.

The police officer said the two arrested men were notorious in the province who have multiple criminal cases pending against them in local courts .

The two yielded a pistol to the authorities.

The five suspected robbers reportedly slipped into the residence of the victims through an air conditioning unit’s opening.

Investigations showed that the men stabbed the victims to death before divesting valuables from their house in Kabalan village in Olongapo City.

The body of 54-year-old victim, Chang Suk-hi, was discovered sprawled on the floor of their residence. Her daughter and 10-year-old granddaughter were found lifeless and naked on the bed in the same room, raising speculations that the two had been raped.

Eleazar said they are readying multiple homicide charges against the suspects. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV

Police bag suspects in massacre of Korean family in Olongapo

Police have collared two of the five suspects in the massacre of a Korean family in Olongapo City.

Senior Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, regional chief of 3rd Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (3CIDU), declined to identify the suspects but said the two are now under their custody.

He said the suspects are hardened criminals with pending cases in various courts in Olongapo City. A handgun was reportedly seized from one of them during their arrest.

"The suspects have pending criminal cases in various courts in Olongapo City including murder and homicide," said Eleazar adding his men will be filing illegal possession of firearms against the two.

"Initially ‘yon muna ang kaso nila, but after the documentation in the murder of Koreans, isasampa din namin ang multiple homicide cases against them," Eleazar explained.

On Sunday July 27, three members of a Korean family were stabbed dead by unidentified men in their house in Barangay Cabalan.

Seok Heijang, 54, her daughter Suna Yoo, 35 and granddaughter Haneul Back, 9, were found sprawled inside the house situated in Sitio Kakilingan, Iram Resettlement.

The suspects, police said the victims were raped before they were killed. Jess Malabanan - ABS CBN NEWS

3 Koreans killed in Olongapo

OLONGAPO CITY -- Three Korean nationals, including a 10-year-old girl, were found dead inside their house early morning on Sunday in Barangay Kabalan, this city.

Suspected robbers broke into the house and stabbed to death a grandmother, her daughter and 10-year-old granddaughter, police said.

The assailants attacked the victims and rifled through drawers for valuables after breaking into the house through an air conditioning unit's opening before dawn, local police Chief Abelardo Villacorta said.

The victims included Chang Suk-hi, 54, who was found sprawled on the floor of a room with stab wounds in the neck.

Her daughter, Yo Sun, 35, and 10-year-old granddaughter Hanuel Beak, were found stabbed to death on a bed in the same room. The two were naked and apparently had been raped, Villacorta added.

The police official said the 11-year-old son of Sun was able to survive the attack probably because the suspects might not have seen him sleeping at the dining room of the house.

"He was even the one who told the caretaker to call the police and led the caretaker inside the room were his grandma, mother and sister were murdered," he said.

Villacorta also said prior to the incident, the family had been receiving death threats from unknown persons. They were also visited by armed men who were extorting money from them.

The victims' house is located at the isolated Iram Resettlement site, which was set up for evacuees of Mt. Pinatubo in the early 90's.

Neighbors of the victims said they heard the dogs of the victims barking at 3 a.m. Sunday, but did not hear any commotion inside the house as it was raining.

Police investigators have yet to establish the identities of the suspects.

Kabalan is near the former US Subic naval base, which has been transformed into an industrial and tourism estate. Many South Koreans have opened businesses and factories in the sprawling estate. (Anthony Bayarong/With AP/Sunnex)

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3 kin of Korean contractor slain

OLONGAPO CITY – The wife, daughter and grandmother of a former Korean contractor of Subic shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries Corp. were stabbed dead in their house here before dawn yesterday.

Former Hanjin contractor Henry Choi, said to be in Korea, has received death threats due to the dismissal of several Hanjin workers, police said.

The attackers took Choi’s cash and killed his wife, Yo Sun, 35; daughter Hanuel Baek, 10; and grandma Chank Hung Hi, 54.

Choi’s son, Sangkheol Beak, 11, reported the crime to the police.

Probers said mother and daughter were molested before they were killed. – Ric Sapnu - PhilStar

Court sheriff slain in Olongapo City, another wounded

A Pasay City court sheriff was shot dead while his aide was listed in critical condition at a hospital after they were shot point blank along corner Anonas and 20th Streets in Barangay West Bajac-bajac in Olongapo City Tuesday.

Senior Superintendent Abelardo Villacorta, Olongapo City police chief, said the incident occurred past 1 p.m. He identified the fatality as Ariel Centeno Valero, 45, a resident of Bacoor,Cavite.

Seriously injured was Rey Max Umandam, credit investigator of Argus Credit Corporation and a resident of Bicutan, Metro Manila. He is presently under observation at the intensive care unit of James l Gordon Memorial Hospital in Olongapo City. An earlier report said Umandam was also killed.

Villacorta identified the suspect as Rosauro Aransanzo, proprietor of Car-Sor-Rent-a-Car located along Fendler Street. He said the suspect attempted to flee but was intercepted by policemen manning a checkpoint. The suspect was in police custody while undergoing investigation.

Police said the suspect got the ire of the victim after an alleged foreclosure of one of the units of Aransanzo.

Police said the victims had just left the place of Aransanzo after they serve a forfeiture notice.

The suspect, police said, tailed the victims and shot them several times in different parts of their body. Valero died on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds.

A caliber .45 pistol believed used by the suspect in killing Valero was confiscated by the police. - Jess Malabanan ABS CBN NEWS

ACCUSED SURRENDERS TO MAYOR GORDON

Enrico “Bunso” Briola, one among the four accused in an attempted murder case last year, voluntarily surrendered to Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. last May 2 at the City Mayor’s Office.

“Kaya po ako sumuko kay Mayor Gordon ay upang patunayan na wala akong kasalanan sa kaso at nadamay lamang ako,” Briola said.

Briola together with the other accused, namely, Delmar “Mao” Gatbunton, Elmer “Emy” Tinagan and Nestor Sabangan are the subjects of a Warrant of Arrest issued by Judge Raymond C. Viray of Branch 75, Third Judicial Region of the Regional Trial Court last December 5, 2007.

Tinagan and Sabagan are already under the custody of the Olongapo City Police Station 3. Briola is presently detained at Police Station 1 while Gatbunton is still at large. The attempted murder case was filed by the complainant, Alvin Legaspi last year.

Mayor Bong Gordon with Enrico “Bunso” Briola, one among the four (4) accused in an attempted murder case last 2007. Briola voluntarily surrendered to Mayor Gordon last May 2, 2008 at the City Mayor’s Office. PAO/jpb

‘Chop-chop’ body found in ‘Gapo market

OLONGAPO CITY – Chopped up body parts of an unidentified woman were found here last Friday afternoon by garbage collectors in front of a public market at Barangay Pag-Asa in this city.

The body parts, which were in an advanced state of decomposition, were found inside a black garbage bag, which was dumped among other wastes at the garbage collection area in front of the James Gordon Public Market.

Police investigators said they still don’t have leads on the crime. Nobody has yet reported any missing person in the city, the police said.

According to Senior Superintendent Abelardo Villacorta, Olongapo City police director, the body parts were discovered on Friday by some garbage collectors as they were loading up onto a garbage truck the thrash bags collected at the market.

As the garbage collectors were hoisting up one thrash bag, they reportedly noticed a strong smell, Villacorta said.

Upon opening the bag, the garbage collectors discovered body parts composed of a right arm, part of a torso with one breast, and various internal organs.

Because decomposition has set in, “the internal organs could no longer be identified except, perhaps, when they are examined closely in a laboratory,” one investigator said.

Police said the body parts smelled of formalin, which is used in embalming corpses as well as in preserving animal specimens.

The garbage bag containing the body parts also have empty medicine vials in it, investigators added. By Bebot Sison Jr. - PhilStar