Valenzuela city gives reward for tip on highway robbery suspects

MANILA, Philippines — The Valenzuela city government has given a P300,000 reward each for the whereabouts of four suspects behind the killing of a company messenger last October.

City hall said the cash reward awaits anyone who could tip off the locations of suspects Rico Reyes, Narciso Santiago, Jo-Anne Cabatuan, and dismissed Patrolman Anthony Cubos.

They allegedly planned to gun down messenger Niño Luegi Hernando last October 9.

The gunman Reyes rode a motorcycle driven by Santiago, tailed the victim, and shot him dead along Maysan Road.

The company messenger was also onboard a motorcycle and had just visited a bank when he was attacked. At least P442,714 money was stolen from him.

Valenzuela police chief Col. Fernando Ortega said the dismissed police officer Cubos, a leader of a robbery hold-up group in Bulacan, planned to kill the victim for testifying in the rape case against his friend, a certain Henry Rubio who is also the live-in partner of suspect Cabatuan.

Cabatuan meanwhile tipped off the victim’s location to the riding in tandem suspects.

Two other accomplices, Edgar Batchar and Cpl. Michael Castro of the Northern Police District drug enforcement unit, have been arrested by police.

Warrants of arrest have also been released by the Valenzuela Regional Trial Court against the suspects for robbery with homicide. Meanwhile, separate carnapping charges were filed against the riding in tandem suspects for stealing the victim's motorcycle.