Police apprehend altar boy's 'killers'

CEBU, Philippines - The robbery-slay of a 14-year-old acolyte has been solved.

This as the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) arrested three gang members, who killed the victim last Sunday.

Arrested were Marvin Abella Sanchez alias Mabs or Otot, 25; Joypher Tatoy, 22; and a 16-year-old boy.

All are allegedly members of the notorious Bloods Gang and are residents of sitio Gun Club-Banawa, barangay Guadalupe.

Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, director of CCPO, said they have gathered physical and circumstantial evidence that point at the suspects as the ones who shot and killed Carlo Mangitngit at 8 a.m. last Sunday in Limkakeng Subdivision, Barangay Guadalupe.

Comendador said that a separate stabbing incident involving Sanchez and one Jason Villarma, 18, led to the arrest of Mangitngit’s killers.

Sanchez and Villarma were arrested by police from the Guadalupe Police Station past 10 p.m. last Monday in a follow-up operation after getting information that they were the ones who stabbed Fortunato Ibon at M. Velez Street, barangay Guadalupe at around 9 p.m. last Saturday.

Ibon is still in critical condition in a hospital in the city.

At the police station, the 13-year-old companion of Mangitngit during the incident positively identified Sanchez as the one who killed his friend.

During tactical investigation, Sanchez identified his cohorts in killing Mangitngit as Tatoy, the gunman, and the 16-year-old boy who drove the motorcycle.

CCPO’s Investigation and Detective Management Branch led by Chief Insp. George Ylanan, the Guadalupe Police led by Sr. Insp. Mario Monilar, and the Theft and Robbery Section led by Sr. Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes then conducted a follow-up operation.

The team looked for the minor suspect at Mac Arthur St. where he also resides but they failed to arrest him.

However, they recovered at his residence the blue Max II Kawasaki motorcycle, with plate numbers YL-4926. Although a motorcycle of another make and brand was reported by the witness, the suspects said it was the one they used.

Tatoy was arrested in Dunggoan, Carcar City. He admitted shooting the victim.

The minor suspect later surrendered, around 5 a.m., to the IDMB. He was brought there by his father, who is a member of the Barangay Intelligence Network.

After getting information from Tatoy, police recovered the gun, a caliber .38 snubnose revolver (paltik) with seven live bullets in sitio Tambis-Banawa and an empty shell at the suspect’s residence.

Police also recovered the 3310 Nokia cellular phone worth P500 from an uncle of Sanchez in sitio Gun Club-Banawa.

Sanchez said he pawned the phone for P200 and spent the money on beer.

Comendador said that the case is now solved.

All suspects, in an interview with reporters yesterday, admitted to the crime.

Tatoy alleged that he would have just wanted to point the gun at the boy when they demanded for his cellular phone, but, due to his drunkenness, he accidentally pulled the trigger.

The minor, a 1st year high school student of Tejero National High School, said he just served as the driver of Tatoy and Sanchez and had no idea that they planned to rob somebody.

He denied being a member of any gang.

Sanchez, who is believed to be the leader of the group, allegedly planned the heist.

Ylanan said that the night before the robbery-slay the three were in a drinking session with other Bloods gang members.

They went back to their drinking buddies after buying more beer from the P200 that they got for the cellular phone of the victim.

Tatoy and Sanchez, both jobless, admitted being previously jailed at the Cebu City Jail.

Tatoy said he was charged for causing trouble in the barangay while Sanchez, released in January, was charged for possessing shabu.

Tatoy expressed to the family of the victim his deep regret for “unintentionally” killing the boy.

“Pasayloa ko. Dako kaayo ako pagbasol nabuhat ‘to nako. Nagmahay g’yud ko ron,” he said.

But Marieta Mangitngit, mother of the victim, expressed her extreme anger at the suspects, saying she wants them jailed and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The victim’s grandmother said she wanted the suspects’ lives in exchange for the life taken from Carlo.

 Meanwhile, the CCPO Director said Police Regional Office-7 Director Lani-O Nerez wants to recognize the policemen involved in the speedy resolution of the case.

He also said beat patrolmen were already deployed in both ends of Happy Valley, near the place of incident, for security purposes. –/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)