THREE suspects are facing criminal charges of robbery with homicide aggravated by rape following the brutal killing of Jade Andre Bestudio and his girlfriend “Roan” in Calbayog City on June 14, 2022.
The suspects were identified as Glenn Baculpo, Jericho Fajardo alias Chokoy, and alias Jan-jan, who is a minor.
On June 20, Calbayog City Police Station (CCPS), headed by Lieutenant Colonel Ericson De Rosario, endorsed to the Office of the Calbayog City Prosecutor the criminal complaint filed by Roan’s family against the suspects.
Del Rosario commended the “relentless efforts” of CCPS personnel, Police Regional Office 8, Samar Police Provincial Office, 1st Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company (SPMFC), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (Cidg-Samar), and all of their intelligence counterparts.
“The community played a vital role in the investigation and information gathering of the police officers in order to locate these suspects who were then considered as the persons of interest. With the virtue of warrant of arrest for the crime of robbery they previously committed, they were arrested,” Del Rosario said.
“The case build-up continued, and sufficient evidence were gathered to establish their involvement in the Bestudio-Lamparas slay, which is why we were able to file appropriate charges against these suspects,” the Calbayog City chief of police.
Bestudio, who bore a gunshot wound in the head, was discovered on June 14 at around 10:30 p.m. along a diversion road at Barangay San Policarpo, Calbayog, while his girlfriend “Roan” was found lifeless and naked at around 8:30 p.m. on the same day in the vicinity of Barangay Bagacay, in the city.
During the initial investigation, authorities said there was a possibility that the death of the victims was attributed to robbery after their personal belongings were not recovered at the crime scenes.
Based on the testimonies provided by the witnesses and supported by the CCTV footages recovered during the course of the investigation, the victims were last seen with the three suspects.
On June 16, Fajardo was arrested by 1st Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company with the tracker team of Regional Intelligence Division (RID) and Calbayog City Police Station by virtue of a warrant of arrest dated June 9, 2021, for the crime of robbery.
Baculpo was also arrested by joint operatives from CCPS, Tarangnan Municipal Police Station, Provincial Intelligence Unit, 1st SPMFC and tracker team of RID by virtue of a warrant of arrest for the crime of robbery which he previously committed.
Meanwhile, alias Jan-jan voluntarily surrendered to the authorities after he was said to be haunted with guilt.
“In the presence of his mother, lawyer, and social worker, he confirmed their involvement in the said robbery and the subsequent killing of the said victims,” the Calbayog City police said.
According to the police, they also requested DNA examination of seminal fluid found in the cadaver of the female victim, ballistic cross-matching of the bullet casing found near the body of Bestudio with the firearm recovered from the suspect during his arrest in Catbalogan City, and fingerprint examination on the personal belongings of Roan which were later on recovered and allegedly physically handled by the suspects during the commission of the crime. (SunStar Philippines)