The two-week old double slay in Alburquerque town is nearing solution with the arrest of a suspect in Clarin town who was positively identified by one of the crime’s eyewitnesses. The suspect also matched with the cartographic sketch made by the regional office of the Philippine National Police. According to Senior Inspector Joseph Berondo, Albur police chief, he is now inclined to believe that the motive of the killing, whose victims were siblings, was robbery. The police chief refused to confirm if robbery was the motive of the killing as soon as he conducted the investigation hours after the double murder. The breakthrough in the Albur violent incident came amid another police accomplishment where two armed men were arrested in a police chase in Catigbian town last Wednesday. Initial reports reaching local media showed that that they were behind the Albur incident only to be dismissed later that it was a false alarm. In a check with Police Chief Inspector George Salcedo Cana, head of the PNP operations and intelligence unit of Camp Dagohoy, a police unit serving a search warrant in Clarin town stumbled upon a suspected drug personality who matched with the cartographic sketch with one of the suspects of the Albur killing.

CATIGBIAN ARREST

A police team led by Police Inspector Rufo Barbarona, officer-in-charge of the Catigbian police, chanced upon two armed men who fired upon the policemen as they tried to accost the two while on board a motorcycle in barangay Poblacion. The two were identified as Lucky Jay Nino Mabanto, and Marlon Palma, both residents of Nahawan Centro, Clarin town. Both yielded 38 cal. revolvers with live ammunitions.

The police patrol was on standby near the Catigbian market when an informant tipped off the policemen of suspicious-looking persons aboard a Honda XRM 125 motorcycle, colored blue, and without a plate number.

When the police car with policemen on board signaled the two men to stop, the suspects instead sped away and even fired at the lawmen. The pursuing policemen fired back. No one was hurt in the exchange of gunfire. The policemen gave chase until they reached barangay Baang where the motorcycle crashed resulting in the arrest of its riders. The two are now locked up at the Catigbian jail awaiting charges of illegal possession of firearm.

CLARIN ARREST

Meanwhile, another police team serving a search warrant in barangay Nahawan, Clarin town last Thursday arrested two suspects identified as Joy Tirol y Diaz and Juan Tirol Diaz, both residents of the same barangay. The warrant issued by Executive Judge Suceso Arcamo of Regional Trial Court Branch 47 yielded one cal 38. revolver, with four pieces of live ammunitions, one hand grenade two pieces transparent cellophane believed shabu and other drug paraphernalia. The Clarin arrest led to the suspicion that one of the suspects of the drug raid identified as Joy Tirol matched with eyewitnesses identification with one of the gun men in the Albur caper. The robbery angle in the Albur incident was buttressed by the finding of a wallet color violet as belonging to the lady victim identified as Jovelyn Requierme Trelvik whose husband is a Norwegian national.

According to Inspector Berondo, the husband confirmed to investigators that her wife withdrew P15,000 from their bank account prompting police to suspect the motive of the killing as robbery. A cell phone also owned by the victim was also turned over to police. A certain John Iroy Bongabong, 20 years old, single and a resident of barangay Toril, Alburquerque town, personally turned-over to PNP personnel a wallet color violet, brand Michaela, allegedly recovered beside the barangay road of Toril of the same municipality. The wallet was allegedly owned by the lady victim. That wallet contained the following: Non-Professional Drivers License under the name of the lady victim, PNB Super Teller ATM card under the victim’s name , PNB Super Teller under the name of her husband one Dag Arve Trelvik and various identification cards, calling cards and official receipts.