Wednesday, January 03, 2007 Killer of Londres couple nabbed, denies killing By Roberto L. Bacasong
AFTER a month-long manhunt operation, the police finally arrested murder suspect Jerry Portudo last December 31, at 8:30 a.m. in Sitio Campayas, Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City.
Portudo, 42, a native of Barangay Caradio-an in Himamaylan City, was tagged a principal suspect in the gruesome murder of couple Eliseo and Narcisa Londres last November 12.
He denied killing the duo inside their residence at Purok Cosmos, Barangay Taculing, Bacolod City and, instead, blamed their neighbor Marcus Lumanas as the one responsible.
Portudo claimed that Lumanas was accompanied by two men when they butchered Eliseo, a businessman, and Narcisa, an assistant head nurse at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center.
Lumanas quickly denied the allegation saying his disagreement with the Londres couple never went beyond the barangay level.
It appeared that he and Eliseo were called by Barangay Taculing Captain Rommel Sanson to settle the issue on the ownership of a lot at the back of the Londres residence.
Bacolod City Police Director Rolino Quebrar said they found testimonial inconsistencies during the initial investigation of Portudo.
He ordered that both Portudo and Lumanas be thoroughly interrogated.
Police Station 6 chief Noel Manaay said they immediately invited Lumanas to have a direct confrontation with Portudo at their station.
But in an interview with ABS-CBN Bacolod Tuesday, Lumanas, a jeepney driver, denied committing the crime.
Arrest
Operatives of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID), Himamaylan City Police and Police Station 6 in Bacolod, arrested Portudo inside the house of a certain Butchok Gargojada.
Gargojada is a third cousin of the suspect.
Quebrar said the police operatives conducted a surveillance in Gargojada's house before the entrapment operation.
He added that Portudo will also be charged with illegal possession of deadly weapon after the police recovered a 12-inch knife from him.
The suspect used to work as the couple's houseboy for more than 20 years.
Earlier reports say he held a grudge against the couple whom he reportedly blamed for encouraging his estranged wife to file a physical abuse case against him.
After the couple was killed, Portudo was no longer to be found.
It was not immediately established if some of the couple's valuables were stolen in the process.
The couple's killing was discovered only after one of the couple's daughter, who is working in London, failed to contact her parents.
When she asked a relative to check on their condition, it was only then that they discovered the bodies of the victims, already lifeless and soaked in blood.
Old summon
Jonathan Paul Londres, the couple's eldest son, said they discovered an old copy of a summon between his parents and Lumanas.
It was dated June 2006.
He said his parents and Lumanas were called by Taculing chieftain Rommel Sanson to settle the conflict on a piece of land situated at the back of their (Londres) house.
Jonathan said he is happy with Portudo's arrest.
He, however, told Sun.Star Bacolod that they were having mixed emotion after the suspect denied murdering his parents.
"I am hoping that this will be solved soon. My family and I are very thankful for the effort exerted by the Police," he said.
Jonathan is a beverage manager of a floating Casino in the United States. He is now on vacation and is staying with his wife in Silay City.
