2 more minors arrested for cabbie’s slay
The two remaining minor suspects responsible for killing a taxi driver last Tuesday were arrested by personnel of Iloilo City Police Office following a manhunt operation that led them to Barotac Nuevo town.
The suspects, also members of youth crime gang True Brown Style 13 (TBS), were known only as “John,” 14, of Arevalo district, and “Ryan,” 17, of Molo district, both in Iloilo City.
Along with their companion “Kenneth,” 15, who was first arrested, they stabbed to death Welter Ermita, 29, driver of Kaoli Khan taxi with plate number FWC-361. Ermita’s body, which bore at least 16 stab wounds, was found by witnesses inside his vehicle parked along the road in Villa Carolina Subdivision, Arevalo district.
At around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, the ICPO personnel arrested “Kenneth,” who identified “John” and “Ryan” as his companions and revealed their whereabouts.
The following day at 6 p.m., policemen arrested both “John” and “Ryan” in Brgy. Tubungan, Barotac Nuevo, at the house of “Ryan’s” live-in partner.
When the two saw their parents arrive with the police, they surrendered without resistance.
Supt. Eugenio Espejo, deputy city police director, said the killing of Ermita was part of the initiation rites of the three suspects for promotion in the TBS 13 gang.
The three were members of the Divine Brotherhood Crusaders before they joined the TBS gang.
Ermita was the second victim of the TBS gang killing, police said.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office 6 is enjoining parents and teachers to help the police stop members of notorious youth gang TBS 13 from committing more crimes and recruiting more members.
Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol Jr., police regional director, said parents and teachers of minors need to educate their children against joining gangs and orient them on basic safety tips to prevent crimes.
Querol said the TBS gang recruits minors whom they require to commit crimes, like robbing and killing taxi drivers, as part of their initiation rites, along with raping would-be female members.
It is alarming that the activities of TBS gang indicate that they also engage in kidnapping as part of their initiation rites, he said.
Querol also directed the Police-Community Relations Division and the Women and Children Protection Desk of PRO6 to immediately initiate dialogues with school principals and officers of Parents-Teachers Association in relation to the growing concern on TBS gang’s activities.
“We have also instructed all chiefs of police to initiate dialogues in their respective areas as part of our prevention efforts,” he said.
Querol said the police has received reports that the TBS gang is expected to expand its recruitment to Bacolod City and towns near Iloilo City.*JPR
