Charged were brothers Eddie and Noe Bona, 45 and 35, respectively; their cousin Elmer Bona, 22; and neighbor Dennis Alcobendas, 19, all residents of Barangay Liminangcong, Taytay, Palawan.
Except for Noe, all the suspects have been arrested and are now detained at the Palawan police headquarters.
Police have recovered P4,560,200 (not P1,800,200 as early reported) out of the P6 million stolen from Taiwanese trader Tang Huan I.
The money was dug up in a sandy portion on the shore of Pulang Isla, El Nido town. Police made an accounting of the recovered amount in front of Tang’s wife Mary Grace.
The four suspects were accused of robbing and shooting to death Tang, 36, president and manager of IFA Marine Trading Corp., and his workers Arvie Acibuche, 20; Richard Bona, 19; and Rodel Orubia, all of Taytay town, last Wednesday morning.
The victims were slain aboard a speedboat owned by Tang off the coast of Pagawanin, near the boundary of El Nido town and Barangay Liminangcong in Taytay.
The victims’ bodies were found floating off the coast of El Nido town last Saturday.
Senior Superintendent Alejandro Lapinid, police director of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), said the prosecutors might tap Elmer Bona as star witness against his three companions since it was he who recounted the crime to investigators.
Elmer said he and two other suspects boarded Tang’s speedboat but that he did not take part in the shooting.
He said it was Eddie who shot Orubia and Richard Bona, while Noe was the one who gunned down Tang and Acibuche. Both suspects threw the victims’ bodies into the water, he said.
After dumping the victim’s bodies in the water, the suspects commandeered Tang’s speedboat and took with them two black bags containing the P6 million.
The speedboat was later found in Barangay Maticul, also in Taytay town.