PNP names victim’s nephew as suspect in Ledesco slay
As earlier manifested, the suspect in the gruesome slay of a 72-year old woman living in her upscale Ledesco Village home in La Paz, Iloilo City is indeed a close relative.
La Paz Police Station chief Chief Insp. Giovanni Musico identified the suspect as Paul Winston Tan, the adopted son of the youngest sister of victim Lolita Chan.
Musico said that they have two witnesses – Jimmy Solorio of the Oasis Pure Drinking Water and Ledesco Village security guard Rolly Gumban – who identified Tan through the photos presented to them.
Solorio narrated that at around 4:00 in the afternoon, or before the discovery of the victim’s body, he and another companion delivered mineral water to Chan’s house at Block 13, Lot 46, Ledesco Village.
Before they leave Tan’s residence, Solorio claimed to have seen Tan ringing the doorbell.
Gumban, in his own affidavit, claimed that he was doing his round when he also saw Tan pressing the doorbell outside Tan’s house.
Both witnesses claimed that they saw the victim allowing the suspect to get inside the house while another man seemed to be on the lookout several meters from the area.
But as of now, Tan, who is said to be living in Brgy. Bakhaw, Mandurriao, Iloilo City, could not be found.
Brgy. Capt. Ruby Gallano of Bakhaw claimed that she last saw Tan in the area last 2008.
It was learned that Tan has been estranged with his wife, with whom he has a child, for quite sometime already.
A member of Chan’s family also claimed not to have seen Tan since May 15.
Musico said, though, that they received reports claiming that the suspect is in Cebu or Bacolod.
Aside from the two witnesses, Musico said that there are other possible witnesses but are afraid to give a sworn statement.
To note, driver Victor Magtulis discovered the victim’s body at around 5:30 p.m. of May 19.
Chan, a spinster, was already slumped at their doorstep and was bathing on her pool of blood when their driver discovered her body.
She succumbed to two stab wounds on her nape. The cut portion of the knife was still embedded at the victim’s nape when found.
Some of the things inside the house were already in disarray and several drawers were left opened when investigators arrived.
The househelp of Chan’s neighbor claimed to have heard someone knocking at the gate at around 4:00 p.m.
She claimed to have heard a shout from the Chan domicile an hour later.
But the helper said that she did not see anything because of the victim’s high-walled fence.