Suspect in rob-slay of student arrested

MANILA, Philippines – Police arrested yesterday one of the suspects in the rob-slay of a 20-year-old medicine student Friday in Tondo, Manila.

Raxabago police station chief Superintendent Roderick Mariano, a member of “Task Force Musngi,” said Michael Baylon, 29, of Quiricada street, Sta. Cruz, Manila, was positively identified by four witnesses as one of the three men riding in tandem on a motorcycle who robbed and stabbed dead Mary Roxanne Musngi, of Gagalangin, Tondo.

Musngi, a student of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and reportedly the granddaughter of a former senior police aide of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, was reportedly on her way home past 3 a.m. after a group study when she was blocked by three men riding in tandem on a motorcycle at the corner of Gen. Lukban and Juan Luna streets.

Two of the men alighted and grabbed the victim’s bag, but Musngi tried to fight off her attackers. As a result, one of the suspects stabbed her in the different parts of the body. When the victim fell bloodied, the suspects took away her bag and sped away along Juan Luna street. She was declared dead on arrival at the Tondo Medical Center due to multiple stab wounds in the body.

The suspects’ took away the victim’s backpack containing a laptop, cellular phones, cash and medical books.

One of the witnesses told police he saw how Baylon grabbed and pushed the victim. However, the witness said he was not able to see the one who stabbed Musngi.

According to Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo who heads the homicide section of the Manila Police District, the arrest of Baylon virtually solved the robbery-slaying of Musngi. However, he said his men are still tracking down the rest of the suspects.