P50,000 reward offered for info on cop suspect in Cainta killing

A P50,000 reward was offered yesterday by the Cainta, Rizal police for information leading to the arrest of PO2 Joel Tapec, the alleged leader of the so-called "Doce Pares" gang tagged in the killing of a one-year-old girl during a robbery last month.

Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, Cainta police chief, expressed hope that the reward would encourage the public to tip them off about Tapec’s whereabouts so he could be arrested and jailed for the killing of Erica Charlene Guevarra last Sept. 14.

Cruz told The STAR that Tapec was sighted by an informant in Parañaque City four days ago.

However, when a police team rushed to the area, Tapec was no longer there.

"We had an opportunity to nail him, but we arrived a few minutes late," Cruz said. "We are hoping that the reward will embolden the public to report his whereabouts so the streets will be rid of one dangerous criminal."

According to Cruz, the public can forward their information with no questions asked to cellphone numbers 0916-4449301 and 0921-2578535.

He said those monitoring these numbers would issue a call sign to the informant so he could be identified when he claims the reward.

Guevarra was seated on her mother’s lap when men on board two motorcycles opened fire at their Toyota Revo, hitting the child in the head, at UE Village in Cainta town last Sept. 14.

Barely a week after the killing, combined elements of the Cainta police, Eastern Police District and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Rizal arrested PO1s Candido Vallejo, Roger Villarente and Roel Palana.

Earlier, the Citizen’s Crime Watch offered a P100,000 reward for the arrest of each of the four policemen.