FILE. Peter Joemel Advincula
LEGAZPI CITY –Police on Saturday afternoon filed with the provincial prosecutor’s office multiple murder charges against Peter Joemel “Bikoy” Advincula for the alleged killing of three persons who were found dead at his “ukay-ukay” (used clothing) store in Daraga town in Albay on Friday.
Police Leuitenant Colonel Bogard Arao, Daraga police chief, said the inquest proceedings would be held at 4 p.m. where affidavits by Lalaine Herrera Amor, the lone survivor and star witness, and several other gathered testimonies from witnesses would be submitted to the provincial prosecutor’s office for disposition.
Arao, in a phone interview, said once the provincial prosecutor finds that there was prima facie evidence that would pin down Advincula, the case would be raffled to select who among members of the prosecutors would handle and bring the case to a regional trial court branch here.
“We have a strong case against Advincula that would pin him down as the murder suspect,” Arao said.
Advincula would be facing multiple murder charges for the death of Donsol Councilor Helen Advincula Garay, 53; Kareen Averilla, 44; and Xavier Mirasol, 61, all of Donsol, Sorsogon.
Report said Garay was running for the town vice mayoral post, while Averilla, Mirasol and Amor were aspiring councilors under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
Arao said that although Garay’s middle name was Advincula, the victim has no blood relationship with the suspect.
Amor, on Thursday, November 6, reported to the police that her three colleagues went missing around Friday midnight after a meeting with Advincula about a movement campaign sortie for presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. here in which the group was to be made coordinators.
She told the police that after the meeting with Advincula, the latter invited the four of them to his store, where he fetched her colleagues who were, one by one, brought to his store.
She said that when Advincula came back for her to bring her to the store, she sensed something was wrong. She said when they reached the store, she was able to escape and sought refuge in a nearby establishment.
Amor’s statement was corroborated by witnesses who also told police that Advincula was seen in the area, Arao said.
On Friday, at around 4 a.m. Advincula called the police to inform them that three dead bodies were found inside the Ukay-ukay store at C&E building in Barangay Busay.
Police investigators established that Advincula did not only own the establishment but had brought the victims to the store where they died, making him a primary suspect in the killing.
Police’s Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) said the victims suffered gunshot wounds from a 9mm handgun that caused their instant death.
Arao said investigators were looking at personal grudge, political and business rivalry as possible motives of the killing.
Advincula gained notoriety after he was tagged as the whistleblower who linked the children of President Rodrigo to narcopolitics.