ANGELES CITY – The police task force looking into the killing of a brother of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor and his two companions last June 2 said a person last reached by phone by one of the victims could provide a significant breakthrough in finally solving the case.
Senior Supt. Wendy Rosario, chief of the Tetangco-Yap task force, said his probers are tracking down the owner of a pre-paid cellphone number who might have decoyed victims Rene Tetangco, a brother of BSP governor Amando Tetangco, his friend businessman Florencio Yap and Yap’s aide Dennis Guinto to their fatal fate.
“It was the last call Yap made at about 7:51 p.m. on the night they were murdered,” Rosario said.
This, even as the task force has identified a fenced property with a warehouse in Barangay Sta. Cruz in Porac, Pampanga as the probable site of the still unsolved murders.
In a court-backed search over the weekend, police arrested three caretakers of the warehouse whose owners they identified as Bernie Alvarez-Cruz and Remy Chu, Rosario told Punto.
The arrested caretakers were identified as Rey Dayan-dayan, 40, of Balaba St., Barangay Dau, Mabalacat town; Jesus Ocampo, 57, of San Juan Betis, Guagua town and Merilyn Gopez, 52, of San Pedro, Mexico town. They were charged with illegal possession of firearms after the police found during their search, three unlicensed firearms including two pieces of caliber 22 rifle and 16-gauge shotgun and bullets for the said firearms.
“We did not find any M-16 which was used in the murders,” Rosario said.
Rosario said the raid was prompted by information from a still unknown person who sent the task force a text message that said: “Nakita ko po ang nangyari sa Yap (case). Nangyari po malapit sa Noblesse school, Gusto ko lang makatulong. (I saw what happened to the Yap case. It happened near the Noblesse school. I just want to be of help.)”
“We are trying to verify every information that could help so I told task force members to scour the area identified for more witnesses,” said Rosario after later attempts to contact the text sender failed.
Rosario said this led another witness to identify the fenced compound in Barangay Sta. Cruz in Porac.
“The witnesses said they were watching the television program Agua Bendita when they heard at least three gunshots coming from the compound,” Rosario said. The program on the night of the murder last June 2 ran from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The bodies of the victims were apparently driven by the suspect inside Yap’s Ford Expedition which was noticed by witnesses on a vacant lot in Barangay Pampang here at about 9 p.m. on the same night. The bodies inside, however, were found only the following morning.
Punto Central Luzon called up Cruz, known as a close supporter of Sen. Lito Lapid, for reaction on the police search of his property. He said the fenced property was about 1.4 hectares and that he owned only about 4,000 square meters of the area.
“The warehouse there is owned by Remy Chu,” he said, as he identified those arrested as workers of Chu in the warehouse.
He said Chu, also a public works contractor like him, has been staying in the US with his family.
Cruz reacted angrily to the police search. “The search warrant even wrongly identified me as Bernie Alvarez Cruz, because my middle name is Paras,” he said.
Cruz said he knew nothing about the Tetangco-Yap case. “I suspect the police know the suspects but they are trying to divert the case,” he said, even as he threatened to file libel charges against those who would link him to the murders.
He corrected police information identifying him as the owner of the entire compound and Chu as mere renter of the warehouse. “Chu owns the warehouse and what I own covers 4,000 square meters of empty lot leading to the warehouse,” he said.
Cruz also clarified that San Miguel Corp. started to rent the warehouse since last July 3, contrary to the task force report citing Chu as leaseholder starting last July 2.
Cruz said that the entire compound is fenced with concrete wall and its lone gate is of cyclone wire that offers view inside. He admitted, however, that the gate had to be opened by a caretaker before one could get into the compound.
Rosario said that his task force has taken note of the call logs on Yap’s cellphone. “The second to the last call was made to a certain Aeldama who turned out to be owner of a poker’s place in Subic, Zambales.
“He apparently dialed the number wrongly, so he again dialed the number of the last person he talked to,” Rosario said. Again, however, this person could no longer be reached by phone.
Rosario declined to identify the last person, saying he could be a vital witness or even a suspect in the murders.
Rosario quoted a close relative saying that Yap had been focused on finding cockfighters as well as good cocks for a derby he had scheduled with his friend, newly elected Bacolor Mayor Jomar Hizon in Bacolor this July.
He said it is also possible the victims would have been killed outside the compound in Sta. Cruz, as he noted that there were two cock raisers in the area.
“The relative told us that Yap would not cancel any appointment except to look for a cockfighter or a cock for his derby,” he said.
The victims were supposedly on their way to the King’s Poker and Sports Club in Angeles when they were killed. They were slated to play poker with former Bacolor Mayor Romeo Dungca and defeated Bacolor mayoral candidate Dinan Labung but they never arrived for their date.
Probers said that cockfighting and politics could be motive for the case.
Senior Supt. Wendy Rosario, chief of the Tetangco-Yap task force, said his probers are tracking down the owner of a pre-paid cellphone number who might have decoyed victims Rene Tetangco, a brother of BSP governor Amando Tetangco, his friend businessman Florencio Yap and Yap’s aide Dennis Guinto to their fatal fate.
“It was the last call Yap made at about 7:51 p.m. on the night they were murdered,” Rosario said.
This, even as the task force has identified a fenced property with a warehouse in Barangay Sta. Cruz in Porac, Pampanga as the probable site of the still unsolved murders.
In a court-backed search over the weekend, police arrested three caretakers of the warehouse whose owners they identified as Bernie Alvarez-Cruz and Remy Chu, Rosario told Punto.
The arrested caretakers were identified as Rey Dayan-dayan, 40, of Balaba St., Barangay Dau, Mabalacat town; Jesus Ocampo, 57, of San Juan Betis, Guagua town and Merilyn Gopez, 52, of San Pedro, Mexico town. They were charged with illegal possession of firearms after the police found during their search, three unlicensed firearms including two pieces of caliber 22 rifle and 16-gauge shotgun and bullets for the said firearms.
“We did not find any M-16 which was used in the murders,” Rosario said.
Rosario said the raid was prompted by information from a still unknown person who sent the task force a text message that said: “Nakita ko po ang nangyari sa Yap (case). Nangyari po malapit sa Noblesse school, Gusto ko lang makatulong. (I saw what happened to the Yap case. It happened near the Noblesse school. I just want to be of help.)”
“We are trying to verify every information that could help so I told task force members to scour the area identified for more witnesses,” said Rosario after later attempts to contact the text sender failed.
Rosario said this led another witness to identify the fenced compound in Barangay Sta. Cruz in Porac.
“The witnesses said they were watching the television program Agua Bendita when they heard at least three gunshots coming from the compound,” Rosario said. The program on the night of the murder last June 2 ran from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The bodies of the victims were apparently driven by the suspect inside Yap’s Ford Expedition which was noticed by witnesses on a vacant lot in Barangay Pampang here at about 9 p.m. on the same night. The bodies inside, however, were found only the following morning.
Punto Central Luzon called up Cruz, known as a close supporter of Sen. Lito Lapid, for reaction on the police search of his property. He said the fenced property was about 1.4 hectares and that he owned only about 4,000 square meters of the area.
“The warehouse there is owned by Remy Chu,” he said, as he identified those arrested as workers of Chu in the warehouse.
He said Chu, also a public works contractor like him, has been staying in the US with his family.
Cruz reacted angrily to the police search. “The search warrant even wrongly identified me as Bernie Alvarez Cruz, because my middle name is Paras,” he said.
Cruz said he knew nothing about the Tetangco-Yap case. “I suspect the police know the suspects but they are trying to divert the case,” he said, even as he threatened to file libel charges against those who would link him to the murders.
He corrected police information identifying him as the owner of the entire compound and Chu as mere renter of the warehouse. “Chu owns the warehouse and what I own covers 4,000 square meters of empty lot leading to the warehouse,” he said.
Cruz also clarified that San Miguel Corp. started to rent the warehouse since last July 3, contrary to the task force report citing Chu as leaseholder starting last July 2.
Cruz said that the entire compound is fenced with concrete wall and its lone gate is of cyclone wire that offers view inside. He admitted, however, that the gate had to be opened by a caretaker before one could get into the compound.
Rosario said that his task force has taken note of the call logs on Yap’s cellphone. “The second to the last call was made to a certain Aeldama who turned out to be owner of a poker’s place in Subic, Zambales.
“He apparently dialed the number wrongly, so he again dialed the number of the last person he talked to,” Rosario said. Again, however, this person could no longer be reached by phone.
Rosario declined to identify the last person, saying he could be a vital witness or even a suspect in the murders.
Rosario quoted a close relative saying that Yap had been focused on finding cockfighters as well as good cocks for a derby he had scheduled with his friend, newly elected Bacolor Mayor Jomar Hizon in Bacolor this July.
He said it is also possible the victims would have been killed outside the compound in Sta. Cruz, as he noted that there were two cock raisers in the area.
“The relative told us that Yap would not cancel any appointment except to look for a cockfighter or a cock for his derby,” he said.
The victims were supposedly on their way to the King’s Poker and Sports Club in Angeles when they were killed. They were slated to play poker with former Bacolor Mayor Romeo Dungca and defeated Bacolor mayoral candidate Dinan Labung but they never arrived for their date.
Probers said that cockfighting and politics could be motive for the case.
