Two notorious robbery hold up suspects summarily executed
TWO suspected members of a notorious robbery group operating in the province of Iloilo were summarily executed in a sugarcane field in Barangay Dakal, San Enrique Sunday night.
Police identified the victims as Rodney Cartagena and Ernesto Palabrica, all of Barangay Agutayan Cubay, San Enrique. They bore fatal gun shot wounds on their heads and different parts of their bodies.
Cartagena and Palabrica are facing robbery hold up charges before the Iloilo regional trial court. The trial is still on going. The case stemmed from a robbery incident in Passi sometime in 2006.
Both were once charged for murder and frustrated murder. The cases were dropped after Cartagena and Palabrica were able to convince the families of the victims for an amicable settlement.
Cartagena whose surname is Alarba is allegedly affiliated to the notorious Alarba robbery gang operating in the province of Iloilo. He is also said have blood relations with one of the suspects who shot dead the former vice mayor of Ajuy.
The two victims whom are related to each other left their houses at about 7 p.m. after they received a text message inviting them for a gathering. Cartagena and Palabrica took a single motorcycle and left.
None of the victims’ families knew who invited them. It was the last time they were seen alive. Few hours later, they were already found in cold blood in Barangay Dakal.
According to Senior Inspector Bonifacio Ancajas, chief of police of San Enrique, residents heard burst of fire at about 9 p.m. of January 3. They have also seen two pick up vehicles left the murder site after shots were fired.
Ancajas said there are no witnesses who could make vivid details on how the victims were murdered except they heard rapid shots along the area. The nearest house from the murder site is more or least 300 meters and the place is dim. Witnesses could not see the colors of the two vehicles which speed off towards Passi.
Police recovered five empty shells of .45 caliber pistol and two empty shells of 9 mm pistol in the crime scene.
Ancajas believes the victims were murdered by their fellow gang mates involved in robbery hold up because of rivalry. He did not name the suspects who could have perpetrated the killings.
