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Thursday, May 20, 2004
German, 4 Pinoys charged for Boracay killings
By Jennifer M. Depakakibo
ILOILO -- Robbery with multiple homicide charges were filed against a German and four Filipinos before the Aklan Provincial Prosecutor's Office Wednesday for the gruesome murders of three foreigners and a Filipina in the island resort of Boracay earlier this month.
Charged for the crime that shocked Boracay and the Hong Kong art world were German Uwe Friesl, Filipino Catalogo and three other as yet unnamed Filipinos.
"The deputy regional chief of the 6th RCIDU (Regional Criminal Investigation Detection Unit) Marlon Tayaba filed a case against Uwe Friesl, Chito Catalogo and so far three unnamed Filipinos this afternoon at the provincial prosecutor's office for robbery and multiple homicide," said Provincial Prosecutor Lourdes Mayor.
Friesl and the four Filipinos are being linked to the killings of Swiss-born, Hong Kong gallery owner Manfred Schoeni, 60, German property developer and villa owner Anton Faustenhauser, 69, Hong Kong-based British architect John Cowperthwaite and Filipina maid Erma Sarmiento.
All were found stabbed to death on May 2 in Faustenhauser's luxurious villa La Dolce Vita on a headland overlooking Boracay.
Police Chief Superintendent Odilardo Magallanes said the principal suspect Friesl was employed by Faustenhauser as a caretaker at the villa.
Catalogo, on the other hand, is one of the 25 construction workers hired by the property developer.
"He (Friesl) was the first one to have found the bodies. But investigators found footprints that matched his in the lavatory where the murder weapon was found," Magallanes said. "The crime laboratory matched the prints."
Magallanes said Friesl has been apparently living in Boracay for some time and witnesses say they saw him near the villa at the time of the murders.
Robbery incident
Chief Supt. George Aliņo, regional police director, maintained the incident stemmed from robbery.
Aside from the 6,000 Hong Kong dollars cash and credit cards, other missing items are a Giorgio Armani bag, two mobile phones, digital camera, electronic organizer, tape recorder and wallets.
He said that aside from Friesl's footprint, other technical findings point to both the German and Catalogo as assailants.
Aliņo said they could not yet disclose the names of the three others as police are still collating more evidence to pin them down.
"We encourage those who have knowledge on the incident to provide us information and evidence to strengthen the case, Aliņo said in a press briefing early Wednesday evening.
Mayor added that all five were still free but that police were monitoring their movements "until such time a warrant of arrest is issued."
She said her office would conduct a preliminary investigation and ask the two named respondents to file counter-affidavits.
If she finds probable cause, Mayor said she would file a case in court.
Robbery with homicide is punishable by death, she said.
Task force
Mayor said Task Force Anton, headed by Supt. Remus Canieso, filed the charges against Friesl and Catalogo. The task force is named after Faustenhauser.
It is composed of investigators from Aklan Provincial Police Office, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 6 and the Police Regional Office 6 Crime Laboratory.
Earlier, regional police chief Aliņo said Boracay is still safe despite the murders, which shocked the nation and raised fears the tourism industry could be affected.
Aliņo said that aside from 130 Boracay-based policemen, augmentation forces from the military, coastguard and maritime group have been deployed in the island resort this summer.
Famed for its white sands and idyllic lifestyle, Boracay is a top tourist draw in the Philippines. It is considered relatively safe it is some distance from the Muslim and Communist rebellions further south. (With AFP) |
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