BACOLOD City – Two of the three suspects in the killing of a teacher in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental have been arrested.
The 19-year-old Johnrey Castino was caught around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 16, while the 21-year-old John Paolo Fernandez was arrested yesterday afternoon. Both were residents of the said town.
Binalbagan police also has a third suspect but because he is at large, it is withholding the name of the 19-year-old lad.
Police Major Randy Babor, Binalbagan municipal police chief, said Castino had direct participation in the killing of 51-year-old Tony Lazaga, a teacher of Binalbagan Catholic College, early morning on Wednesday.
Babor also said they have gotten hold of a footage from one of the closed circuit television cameras in the area showing the three suspects stopping Lazaga and possibly declaring a holdup.
Lazaga, however, fought back when the suspects got hold of his bag, prompting them to stab the victim multiple times, police said.
A post-mortem examination of Lazaga revealed that he sustained a total of 16 stab wounds all over his body and his hands also have wounds, indicating that he tried to fight back.
Babor also said they have recovered a knife from the crime scene.
A background check on the suspects revealed they were not part of any organized robbery group, although all three were in the Binalbagan police station’s drugs watchlist.
Babor said Castino will undergo a drug test.
Castino, Fernandez and the remaining suspect are facing robbery with homicide charges.
Meanwhile, Lazaga’s family had doubts if the incident was a holdup, pointing out that the suspects only took the victim’s mobile phone and left behind his laptop and wallet.
For his part, Binalbagan’s Mayor Alejandro Mirasol strongly condemned Lazaga’s murder, although he assured the town’s residents that the incident was “isolated”.
He ordered the Binalbagan police to hasten the investigation and arrest the third suspect.
“I am hopeful that justice will prevail and that we will have answers soon,” Mirasol said. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
