3 of 7 suspects tagged in Pasig rape-slay

A sister of a medical worker who was raped and murdered in Pasig City last Oct. 7 identified yesterday three of the seven arrested members of the “Sako Gang” as among the victim’s attackers.

Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Lino Calingasan said Sandra Painaga named alleged gang leader Benny Crisologo, Jerry Ugtuhan and Ernesto Ruperto as the killers of her sister Cherry, 23, based on pictures shown her by the police.

Calingasan said Sandra pointed to Crisologo as the one who grabbed and dragged Cherry, a medical staff of the Medical City hospital, to the second floor of their house in Pasig City, where she was shot three times. Reports claimed that the suspects raped the victim.

Sandra said she clearly remembered the three suspects, because they also brought her into a bathroom, apparently to rape her. But the suspects backed off after learning that she had her period.

Sandra personally called the attention of Calingasan after seeing the suspects being presented in Camp Crame several days after their arrest.

“We thought all along that it was the Gapos Gang who was responsible on the fate of Painaga. But with Sandra’s revelation, we will amend the information sheet we filed before the prosecutor’s office to include the names of Crisologo and his two companions,” Calingasan said in an interview.

Calingasan said they are still determining whether the same group of suspects was behind the robberies in San Juan City and Mandaluyong City early this year because the victims were hogtied before being robbed.

Police said the suspects were also behind a rash of robbery, rape and homicide cases in Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Metro Manila, including the killing and burning of Viva Hot Babe member Scarlet Garcia and her companions in Olongapo City last year. – Non Alquitran