Police identify five suspects in killing of resort owner's son

CEBU, Philippines - Police believe that the death of Antonio Fabian Santos had something to do with his alleged involvement in illegal gambling and have tagged five suspects.

The police also said that the killing wasn’t spontaneous and was done by a gun-for-hire due to the way it was done.

Sr. Insp. Jul Mohammad Jamiri, Cebu City Homicide chief, said that the gunman is based in the Metro Cebu area and has been with the victim for quite some time. 

“It is possible that the victim was killed by some whom he failed to pay after winning (an illegal number game),” Jamiri said.

Santos reportedly came from Cebu City Jail before he was killed to visit Ariel “Bobong” Degamo, who was transferred to Cebu in 2010 from Gingoog City.   

Degamo is facing charges of robbery with homicide and also murder.

The city jail records revealed that Santos visited Degamo on Tuesday, but not on Wednesday when the killing took place.

The police, as of yesterday, have not yet talked to Degamo. Santos was killed near the boundary of Sitio Langub, Barangay Guadalupe and Sitio Oprra Unit 5, Barangay Kalunasan.

The gunman was reportedly seated on the backseat of the Honda CR-V that the victim was driving.

Suspects

Investigators have identified five possible suspects after studying the contents of the victim’s cellular phone.

Jamiri said Santos’ cellular phone logs revealed that he was asked to call someone a few minutes prior to his death.   

The police would not, however, name the suspects yet.

Several witnesses also saw Santos near the vicinity of Cebu City Jail talking with someone through his cellular phone.

The police said that they tried to contact the number, but failed.

Jamiri also said they are very pleased with the active participation of the Santos family in their investigation.

“They are very willing to cooperate sa amoang investigation. And I’m sure, sooner or later, ato ra ni ma- resolbar,” he said.

This was after the victim’s father, Pablito, visited the Homicide Section yesterday to recover the victim’s possessions.

Confirmation

Jamiri also said that Santos’ relatives confirmed earlier reports that the victim was involved in illegal number games since the late 1990s, but reportedly ceased in 2006.

However, based on intelligence reports, Jamiri insisted that the victim continued with his illegal number games operations until he was killed last Wednesday.

Santos is set to be buried at the Cebu South Memorial Gardens in Mohon Talisay City.

The victim’s family owns Villa Teresita Resort in Barangay Biasong, Talisay City.

— /NLQ (FREEMAN)