Widow abducted, slain in Binondo; 3 nabbed

Manila police have arrested three suspects in the abduction and killing of a 47-year-old widow, said to be a police informer, in Binondo, Manila, the other night.

Arrested were Lito Puyat, 43, and Luigi Gangan, 25, both of Reina Regente, Binondo; and Edgar dela Cruz, 43 of Solis street in Gagalangin, Tondo.

According to homicide detectives of the Western Police District, they are believed to be behind the slaying of Araceli dela Torre, of Estero Reina Regente, Binondo.

Dela Torre’s body was found floating in Estero Reina Regente, near C. M. Recto corner Juan Luna street in Binondo, at around 7:30 a.m. yesterday.

Initial reports from the Scene of the Crime Office (SOCO) of the WPD showed that Dela Torre had been strangled and beaten to death several hours earlier.

Police reports said the victim was last seen alive being dragged by three men to a dimly-lit area near the estero at midnight Thursday.

Police said the suspects were arrested in their houses following tips from informants. They are now detained at the WPD Integrated Jail.

Meanwhile, a taxi driver on an alcohol-induced rampage was killed after he was shot apparently in self-defense by an air force master sergeant outside his house in Pasay City yesterday morning.

The victim, Gerry Lou Ellorin, 31, married resident of 129 Maginhawa St., Pasay City, succumbed to two gunshot wounds, one in the chest, while being taken to the Pasay City General Hospital.

The gunman, Master Sergeant Ricardo dela Cruz of the Philippine Air Force, a neighbor of Ellorin, is now under the custody of the Pasay City police Criminal Investigation Division after he surrendered voluntarily after shooting Ellorin.

The incident occurred at around 3 a.m. on Maginhawa street while a drunken Ellorin was beating up his wife outside their home in plain view of neighbors who were roused from their sleep.

Dela Cruz, also roused by the noise of Ellorin’s public fight with his wife, took it upon himself to scold Ellorin and ordered him to stop hurting his wife.

Angered by the interference, Ellorin reportedly pulled a caliber .38 revolver from his waist and fired a shot at Dela Cruz, missing the sergeant. Dela Cruz pulled out his own caliber .38 service revolver and fired back at Ellorin, hitting the driver twice. – Rainier Allan Ronda