CEBU – Charges for robbery with homicide will be filed today against four boys who are tagged as the suspects in the robbery slay of Iranian student Ashkan Aminian and the robbery and shooting of Bigfoot employee Pauline Dennise Osorio.
The charges will be filed against the 16-year-old who allegedly gunned down Aminian, and Kenneth Gabutan, 18, who drove the motorcycle.
Meanwhile, the 17-year old, who shot Osorio after the latter refused to give her bag which contained a laptop and two cellular phones, and his 16-year old companion, who drove the motorcycle will be facing the same charges.
Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, Jr., director of the Cebu City Police Office, said that the three minor suspects will be charged in accordance to Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice Welfare Bill.
Since the three minors were proven to have done the crime in discernment they will be subjected to the appropriate proceedings in accordance with the said Act.
Malbert Rama, 21, the owner of the motorcycle believed to be used in the killing of the Iranian, will be concurrently charged as an accessory.
Comendador said that all investigation procedures were completed last Saturday afternoon.
Along the way, the investigating team found more reason to conclude that it was robbery and not a love triangle as the motive of the killing of Aminian.
The police also saw a connection to the robbery incident where Osorio was shot around 3:30 a.m. last Thursday at the corner of Rosales Street and Juan Luna Avenue.
They received information from four sources that tagged the “Kalunasan Habal-habal Group” as responsible for the killing of Aminian.
Comendador said that they kept pressuring the suspects, which consequently forced Gabutan to surrender last Friday afternoon.
The 16-year-old voluntarily surrendered to the police last Saturday evening after he came from Ormoc, Leyte where he hid from the Cebu City police.
“They were pursued by us. They were forced to surrender because they knew in due time we will catch them,” Comendador said.
The CCPO chief said that the suspects were involved in many robbery incidents in the city after checking their records.
Sr. Insp. George Ylanan, Intelligence Division and Management Branch chief, said that the said suspects also did robberies in barangays Guadalupe, Mabolo, and Punta Princesa.
Comendador said the said group roams around the area where they looked for their victims at early dawn using motorcycles.
Once they spot their target and if opportunity is available, they would pounce.
The CCPO chief said that the group does not belong to any gang or fraternity but they mimic some of the said group’s gestures.
He added that the suspects “earn a living during the day and are robbers at night.”
Comendador thanked all the investigating units — the IDMB, TRS, Homicide Section and Fuente Police for the effort in solving the cases.
UV ADMIN THANKS COPS
Meanwhile, Dr. Jose ‘Dodong’ Gullas, executive vice president of the University of the Visayas, thanked the CCPO for the quick solution of Aminian’s case.
As earlier reported, Aminian was a BS biology major at the said school. He was two months shy of graduation when shot dead at Juana Osmeña Extension, brgy. Capitol Site last January 22. — Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)