Man murdered in Burnham identified as police colonel

BAGUIO CITY — Police confirmed yesterday that the man found murdered at Burnham Park last Holy Wednesday was a police colonel based at Camp Vicente Lim in Canlubang, Laguna.

Superintendent Francisco Manalo Jr., city police chief, said the victim, Superintendent Arturo Solis, was identified by his wife, who had been looking for him for more than 10 days.

A check with Camp Vicente Lim showed that Solis was the finance officer of the Police National Training Institute based there.

Manalo said Solis was found dead, his head smashed with rocks, at a vacant lot between the Baguio Colleges Foundation and the Baguio City National High School.

Solis was not immediately identified because his attackers took his wallet and other personal belongings, including identification cards, Manalo said.

His wife identified him through his wedding ring.

Police are still baffled by the circumstances surrounding Solis’ killing. But Manalo said he went to Baguio to join a police team evaluating the performance of new police recruits undergoing training at the Teachers Camp.

Chief Inspector Constante Agpaoa, commanding officer of the police recruits, accompanied Solis’ wife to the morgue of Funeraria La Paz where Solis’ remains were kept.

Senior Inspector Elmer Ragay, intelligence and investigation chief of the city police, said their probe is still ongoing.

Earlier, the Cordillera office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) had informed the Baguio police that a police officer from Canlubang, Laguna was reported missing days after he traveled to the city before the Holy Week.

The CIDG regional office is also conducting a separate investigation.