4 suspects in former tourism exec’s killing surrender to police

Former PTA chief Nixon Kua. Facebook photo

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines—Four suspects in the robbery-slaying of columnist and former Philippine Tourism Authority chief Nixon Kua turned themselves in to the authorities Monday evening, police officials said Tuesday.

Supt. Leovegildo Manaig, police chief of Calamba City, said three of the suspects—John Rey Cortez, Darwin Samiano and Noel Garcia—surrendered to the head of Barangay Maunong, where they live, who then turned them over to the police at around 8 p.m.

A fourth suspect, identified as Michael Molino, surrendered two hours later and was also accompanied by barangay officials to the police station.

The four were detained at the regional headquarters of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group here, which was also part of the police Task Force Nixon.

CIDG Regional Director Senior Supt. Bernabe Balba said the suspects “may have been pressured” by the manhunt operations, prompting them to surrender.

Meanwhile, police are still looking for a fifth person who may have “tipped off” the suspects that Kua was carrying money at the time of the robbery, Manaig said.

He said the four arrested suspects, all in their 20s, had denied involvement in the robbery.

However, “they were identified by the family (of Kua) who was present during the attack. They also faced arrest warrants for previous cases, among them a gang rape,” Manaig said.

Kua, 49, died 10:35 p.m. Monday at the Calamba Medical Center (not Calamba Doctors’ Hospital as earlier reported by police). He was shot by robbers in the face, the bullet entering below the left eye and damaging the brain.

His brother Allyxon was also shot but is out of danger.

As of Tuesday morning, the family had not yet decided whether to bring the remains of Kua to their residence in New Manila in Quezon City, according to a close friend of the family, Milo dela Cruz.