Camp BGen Efigenio C Navarro, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro-Patrick Rufino Cahilig, 35 years old, resident of Sitio Miason, Brgy. Busay, San Jose, Romblon, one of the four “persons of interest” that San Jose Municipal Police Station, Romblon previously reported, was arrested in his residence by elements of San Jose Municipal Police Station, Romblon on January 28, 2022 about 6:00 P.M. after he was positively identified by a witness, Charlie Mendoza Seraspi, as the suspect for the massacre of a single mother, Wielyn Maximo Mendoza, 29 years old, single; and her two sons, TJ Mendoza y Tabuna, 9 years old, male; and JB Mendoza y Tabuna, 7 years old, all residents of Sitio Upper Hinulugan, Brgy. Poblacion, of the same municipality on January 26.

Serapin averred that, on January 25, he was sleeping in a separate room inside the victim’s house after going to a party together with the three victims.

About 1:00 A.M. of the following day, he was awakened by a noise of a chain and he saw the suspect going out of the victim’s house. He never minded it and went back to sleep.

The witness was just surprised when brothers Warlito and Wilbert Mendoza awakened him about 8:00 A.M. and informed him that the victims were already dead which prompted him and Wilbert Mendoza to report to the police.

Police report also reveals that the witness had positively identified the suspect because he is Seraspi’s mother’s live-in partner and he was just afraid to divulge his information and execute affidavit right away for security reason.

As of press time, the arrested suspect is under the custody San Jose MPS and they are now preparing all the pertinent documents for inquest proceedings of the arrested suspect before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, Odiongan, Romblon for three counts of murder.

“I laud San Jose MPS for solving this crime, but I still direct the said unit to pursue its in-depth investigation in order to still identify other possible cohorts in the said felonious incident”, Police Brigadier General SIDNEY SULTAN HERNIA, Regional Director of Police Regional Office MIMAROPA, stressed. -RPIO MIMAROPA