NBI arrests 2 suspects in slay of Gulbin couple

Two men suspected in the murder of a septuagenarian couple in Tabogon town more than a week ago were arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation.

Renan Epanto, 18, and Jaskie Pelegria, 21, both neighbors of the victims, Rufo and Nemesia Gulbin, were arrested by NBI operatives Sunday night in sitio Lub-ang, barangay Managase, Tabogon, after a man tagged them.

Erick Mendoza, 21, voluntarily surrendered to the NBI last Sunday afternoon and confessed his participation in the killing of the Gulbin couple on the evening of April 1.

Mendoza yesterday executed an extra-judicial confession before the NBI and admitted his participation in the crime. Mendoza, interviewed by The Freeman inside the NBI detention cell, said that he was forced by Epanto to join them.

According to Mendoza, they agreed to rob and kill the couple while they were attending a disco in their barangay. Mendoza, however, said that his participation was only limited to holding the victims while Epanto and Pelegrea allegedly struck them with a piece of wood in the head.

In a separate interview Epanto and Pelegria denied everything.

"Kon kami pay naghimo ana sir, ninglayas na unta mi. Katulo na gud mi dakpa tungod ani nga kaso pero wa gyud mi molayas," they said.

They claimed to have been invited for questioning by the Tabogon police last Monday. They were again picked up for questioning by the Borbon police last Saturday and finally last Sunday by the NBI.

Epanto and Pelegrea said that they were just invited for investigation at first but they were surprised when they were eventually arrested after being blamed by somebody they did not know during a line-up. The NBI is now preparing the charges against them.

The naked bodies of the Gulbin couple were found by their neighbor last April 2 several meters away from their house. The couple sustained wounds in different parts of their bodies and were hogtied with their own clothes.