Suspect in murder of Charice's dad surrenders

MANILA, Philippines - A 35-year-old construction worker tagged as the suspect in the killing of the father of international singing sensation Charice surrendered yesterday afternoon to the mayor of General Trias in Cavite.

Angel Capili Jr., who allegedly stabbed dead Charice’s father Ricky Pempengco in a drunken fit, was accompanied by his wife and chairman Rolando Pagkaliwangan of Barangay Santiago, General Trias to the office of Mayor Antonio Ferrer at around 2:30 p.m.

Senior Superintendent John Bulalacao, Cavite police director, told The STAR that Capili admitted killing Pempengco and said he was willing to face the consequences.

“He asked for forgiveness from the family of Charice and he is ready to face whatever

punishment for his sin,” Bulalacao quoted Capili as saying while they were inside a car on their way to the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Capili told investigators that he was drunk when he stabbed Pempengco with an ice pick along A. Bonifacio St. in Barangay Laram in San Pedro, Laguna last Oct. 31.

Bulalacao said Capili and Pempengco had an old grudge and both were drunk when they met on the street. Capili, who resides in General Trias town, was working at a construction site in San Pedro when he chanced upon Pempengco who resided at M.H. del Pilar St., Barangay Laram in San Pedro.

The suspect claimed that Pempengco punched him in the face but he did not retaliate and ran away.

Police officials said Capili even reported the initial encounter to the nearby barangay hall. However, the suspect later returned to the area where he met Pempengco.

Investigators said Pempengco was then buying cigarettes at a store along A. Bonifacio St. when Capili attacked the victim, stabbing him with an ice pick in the chest and back.

Capili told probers that he always carried his ice pick for protection when he is in San Pedro.

Bulalacao said Capili claimed that he put the ice pick inside his pants, but he lost the weapon when it fell off while he was running away from the crime scene.

Bulalacao said Capili fled from San Pedro the following morning after telling his mother about the killing.

“He claimed it was self-defense because he was punched in the face by Pempengco,” Bulalacao said in Filipino, quoting Capili.

Bulalacao said Capili fled to Barangay Santiago in General Trias and hid in a nipa hut in a remote area near his residence, before he decided to call up his relatives.

Bulalacao said Capili’s wife and relatives sought assistance from their barangay chairman and General Trias Mayor Ferrer to arrange the surrender of the suspect to the police.

Laguna police director Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz said murder charges would be filed against Capili at the San Pedro prosecutor’s office.

Cruz said the murder of Pempengco could now be considered solved after Capili’s surrender and confession.

Laguna Gov. Jeorge Ejercito Estregan has offered a P100,000 reward for the arrest of the suspect and San Pedro Mayor Calixto Cataquiz also pledged P100,000 as reward.

The P200,000 reward for the arrest of the suspect was given to barangay chairman Pagkaliwangan after the village official facilitated Capili’s surrender.

“We are on our way to Cavite to personally congratulate our police authorities for a job well done,” Estregan said.

Estregan said Capili’s brother Armando, who has a pending murder case in Mabitac, Laguna since 2002, was arrested by San Pedro police in San Narciso, Quezon, Wednesday afternoon.

He, however, clarified that Capili’s brother has nothing to do with the killing of Pempengco.

Face to face

Local policemen from San Pedro, Laguna earlier fetched Capili from General Trias and then brought the suspect to PNP headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City and presented him to Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and other ranking police officials.

Capili reportedly met with the victim’s family led by Charice at Camp Crame.

A handcuffed Capili arrived at Camp Crame at past 4 p.m. escorted by several policemen.

A few minutes later, Charice’s blue F150 SUV arrived but instead of using the main entrance of the PNP headquarters on her way to Robredo’s office, her vehicle was led to the guarded entrance at the back of the building.

The meeting between Charice and Capili was not witnessed by the media, but sources said the singer was quiet during the encounter and her paternal aunt was the one emotional, blaming the suspect for killing the victim.

Robredo also had a short talk with Capili, who claimed he never knew the victim personally and asked for forgiveness from the family of the victim.

“They did not know each, they had heated argument and he pulled out a screwdriver and attacked the victim,” Robredo said in Filipino.

When asked if Capili has a lawyer, police officials said the suspect will be given legal counsel when they return to San Pedro where he will appear before an inquest prosecutor and face murder charges.

Robredo said the cooperation of the victim’s family, officials of the local government, and the police resulted in the positive outcome of the case. With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Arnell Ozaeta