TWO individuals were arrested over the killing of a 64-year-old official of the House of Representatives, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
In a press conference, PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said a total of six individuals were charged with murder for the killing of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Ways and Means chief of technical staff Director Mauricio “Morrie” Pulhin.
Of the six alleged suspects, two, who were identified as alias “Balong” and “Jayson,” were under police custody.
“Bakit natin siya nakuha? Based yan sa pagdugtong at pagsunod sa mga CCTV cameras at nakita doon sa CCTV cameras na ito pong gunman at ‘yung pangalawang nahuli (alias Jayson) ay doon pumunta at nagtago at nagpalit ng damit doon sa bahay nitong si alias Balong. So narecover doon ‘yung mga damit nitong ating gunman,” she said.
(Why did we apprehend him? That was based on tracing and following the CCTV cameras, which showed that the gunman and the second suspect arrested (alias Jayson) went to and hid at the house of alias Balong, where they also changed clothes. The clothes of the gunman were recovered there.)
Fajardo said Balong served as the middleman between the masterminds and the hitman.
She said a couple, who are the victim’s employees in his diagnostic business, were tagged as the brains behind the killing.
“Ang lumalabas ayon sa testimonya at extrajudicial confession nitong si alias Balong ay hinire sila diumano ng magka live-in na sinasabi na may personal na galit doon sa biktima,” she said.
(According to the testimony and extrajudicial confession of alias Balong, it appears that they were allegedly hired by a live-in couple who reportedly had a personal grudge against the victim.)
“Supposedly, itong sinasabi diumano na mastermind na mag-partner ay sasampahan ng kaso nitong biktima for estafa and qualified theft na dati nilang diumano na empleyado,” she added.
(Supposedly, the alleged mastermind, who are a couple, were about to be charged by the victim with estafa and qualified theft, as they were reportedly former employees.)
Fajardo said the masterminds allegedly failed to pay the promised amount of P30,000 to those they hired to gun down Pulhin.
Pulhin was shot dead in broad daylight on June 15 while attending the 7th birthday party celebration of his daughter in Quezon City. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)