Tan slay case solved

The Evan Tan murder case has been deemed solved with the arrest yesterday of the leader and a member of a robbery-extortion syndicate by a joint posse of local police and special anti-crime units in an operation that took them from Caloocan City to Bulacan and Valenzuela City and back.

Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr. Northern Police District Office (NPDO) director, identified the suspects as Noelito Papung alias "Noel," the alleged mastermind and leader of the gang, and Erickson Sanoya, 23.

Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, Caloocan police Station Investigation and Detection Management Bureau (SIDMB) chief, said they gained a huge headway after a female business associate of the victim broke down before probers and agreed to cooperate.

Mary Ann Medina told investigators she met with the victim the night he was reported missing last Jan. 9. Tan, 29, who managed a family-owned plastics store in Valenzuela City was found dead on Jan. 10 in Barangay Bitongol, Norzagaray, Bulacan. Police said he sustained two bullet wounds in the head.

Borromeo said Medina was arrested at around 10 p.m. Wednesday on her way home after dining with her husband Michael Uy and their three children in a Quezon City restaurant.

"When we brought her in and asked her to confess, she broke down and, in tears, admitted her participation," Borromeo said.

Borromeo said Medina called Tan and asked him to go to Padi’s Point at the Bonifacio Circle in Monumento, Caloocan where she and her sister Marilou, a live-in partner of Papung, and Sonaya were enjoying the night in the company of three others whom she identified only as Bong, Micoy and Big Boy. She added they partied until 2 a.m. of Jan. 10 when they decided to go home. It was then when the suspects, who were on board a van blocked the path of Tan’s car who was then driving. Tan allegedly offered to drive Mary Ann and Marilou home in Karuhatan, Valenzuela where the Uys lived.

Borromeo said the suspects could have killed Tan when he fought back as shown by the bruises and contusions found later on his body. He also said they were able to confirm that the cell number Tan last contacted was that of Medina’s, strengthening their theory that she had something to do with Tan’s disappearance.

During interrogation, Alona Medina, Medina’s youngest sister, said she overheard a fuming Marilou talking on the cell phone saying it was not part of the plan to kill Tan. "Peperahan lang natin yan. Bakit nyo pinatay," Marilou was quoted by Alona as saying.

Borromeo said he used Marilou’s phone to contact Papung and convinced him to meet up with her at the Royal Mall along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) at the Malinta exit (Mapulag Lupa, Valenzuela) where an entrapment was set-up. The suspects were collared at around 1:30 p.m. yesterday.

Borromeo said they are convinced Mary Ann did not know of the plan to kill Tan but could have been convinced by her sister Marilou to give the syndicate information on their victim. The officer added they are considering Mary Ann as a state witness.

Another Kidnap Try

Meanwhile, a Fil-Chinese trader escaped in what appears to be another kidnap-try, perpetrated by six armed men in police uniform at a "checkpoint" in the Caloocan-Quezon City boundary the other night.

The victim, a residnet of Binondo, Manila, sought police assistance and reported the incident at the Caloocan City police headquarters along Samson Road.

A follow up investigation is being made to ascertain the real identity of the uniformed suspects.

According to the victim he encountered the road block at around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday along C-3 Road near the La Loma Cemetery in Quezon City.

Initial investigation showed the victim was driving his Toyota Revo when he was ordered to stop at the checkpoint.

The victim said the armed suspects opened the doors of his car and quickly boarded. One of the them shoved him aside at gunpoint and took over the wheel and sped away, but not before divesting him of his cash and valuables. He told probers he was released upon reaching Balut in Tondo.