Condo slay ‘suspect’ surfaces at NBI

A son of an official of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) surfaced at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) offices last Saturday to belie reports linking him to the gruesome killing of a female bank employee inside her condominium unit last May 12.

An NBI source said Babes Reyes, 21, was escorted by his lawyer to the NBI to deny that he took part in the killing of Candice Castro, whose body was found inside her condominium unit at the Vellagio Tower in Leon Guinto street in Malate.

Reyes submitted himself for a drug test, medical and physical examination. He also gave his fingerprints and footprints last Saturday, an agent said.

During the examination, the agent noted that Reyes had no scratches on his face and other parts of the body unlike Philippe Marcelo, who had scratches on the face when arrested by the police.

The agent said Reyes’ records are now with the bureau for safekeeping and if the need arises, it would be compared to the evidence lifted from the crime scene.

Reyes, son of Bienvenido Reyes, an intelligence officer of the Bureau of Immigration, is being implicated by Marcelo to the killing, accusing him of being the mastermind.

NBI agents said Reyes was not arrested when he surfaced last Saturday, a day after the police filed murder charges against him and Marcelo.

Under the law, after the case has been filed with the prosecutor’s office, law enforcers must wait for the warrant of arrest to be issued by the court.

"So technically and legally speaking, police cannot arrest Reyes," a lawyer from the NBI said.

Investigators said that there was only one set of footprints, belonging to a six-footer person, found at the crime scene.

Using a luminal test, a process by which bloodstains are detected, the footprints were later traced to the 6th floor of the condo unit where Marcelo was staying.

NBI investigators said that prior to the killing, Marcelo along with three others were having a drinking bout.

Reyes joined them, but immediately left, which irked Marcelo. It was at that moment when Marcelo spotted Castro, who escorted her relatives out of the building.

Marcelo allegedly followed Castro and committed the crime, an investigator said.

Yesterday, police released Reyes’ photograph even as the victim’s family bewailed the apparent failure of the police to find the suspect.

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza had given the Manila police one week to arrest Reyes.

In his sworn affidavit, Marcelo said it was Reyes who entered Castro’s condominium unit. – With Nestor Etolle