Dumaguete cops nab Australian murder suspect

CEBU, Philippines – A 42-year-old Australian man was arrested by the police in Dumaguete City Sunday morning in relation to the murder of a 17-year-old girl in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte late last week.

Superintendent James Goforth, Dumaguete Police chief, identified the suspect as Ali Ali, an Australian national who, based on credentials and the passport in his possession, have entered the Philippines legally.

Ali was the subject of joint police operations by the Dumaguete Police, the Dipolog Police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for the past three days, after he allegedly killed the minor whose body was found at a room of a pension house in Dipolog last Friday.

The Australian was arrested around 11:30 a.m. near a resto-bar along Flores Avenue in Barangay Piapi, Dumaguete City, after operatives had ascertained he was the same person in whose company the girl was last seen, Goforth said.

Initially Ali denied he was the one, but the police noticed him, even though he was wearing a cap, because of a bandaged arm, most likely due to injuries "upon hitting her (the victim)," said Goforth, adding that the police were also able to identify the suspect from CCTV footage and information from witnesses.

The Dipolog policemen, headed by Supt. Ranie Hacuela, arrived in Dumaguete late Friday evening in pursuit of Ali who they learned had boarded a ferry en route to this capital city of Negros Oriental.

At around 4 p.m. earlier that day, the Dipolog Police discovered the body of the victim, who hailed from Barangay Bago in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, inside the pension house room, which Ali occupied since January 28.

Goforth said he received a call from Hachuela early the following day regarding the killing of the girl, who was reportedly the chat mate of Ali, as shown in Facebook and in the money transfer slips.

Initial police investigation further revealed that the girl seemed to have been killed with bare hands by her attacker, as no weapon was found at the crime scene. Investigators though were still waiting for the autopsy results to determine the cause of the girl's death.

Goforth said the police learned that Ali had stayed at an inn in Barangay Daro in Dumaguete City since he arrived here. He was spotted earlier and was under close surveillance after police operatives saw his bandaged hand.

Hachuela also disclosed he will make a formal report to the Australian Embassy in Manila regarding the arrest of Ali, who declined to be interviewed by the Dumaguete media and said he will just allow the police to proceed with the investigation.

Ali will be brought to Dipolog City, escorted by Hachuela and his men, where proper charges will be filed against him.