The headless body of a man tagged as one of the suspects in the killing of a policeman was found buried in barangay Tulo-tulo, Consolacion town, northern Cebu.
The body of Ramil Apa, a resident of sitio Guba, barangay Talamban, Cebu City, was found buried in a ravine Friday morning. His severed head was found buried about two kilometers away.
Police said that according to an informant, Apa disappeared after he expressed his intention to leave a gun-for-hire group and was shot thrice before he was beheaded.
Before the body was unearthed, police arrested Norman Colina, his 22-year-old son Nico and habal-habal driver Elmer Tapayan, who were tagged by a witness as the one who killed Apa.
Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, chief of the intelligence branch of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said it was the witness who informed the police where the body was buried and who killed the victim.
However, Senior Supt. Mariano Natu-el, chief of CCPO, had a different version as to why Colina, his son and Tapayan were arrested.
Natu-el said police who went to the place to dig up Apa’s body spotted the three men carrying guns.
Police chased the three and eventually cornered them in the house of the Colinas.
Natu-el said they are still gathering evidence that would link Colina, his son and Tapayan to Apa’s death.
Among the items recovered by police from Norman’s house was a KG-9 pistol.
Police said Tapayan yielded a .357 caliber revolver while a grenade was found in the tool box of his motorcycle.
Norman denied being involved in Apa’s killing.
Apa is one of the suspects in the killing of PO2 Wilfredo Datu, who was shot dead in Feb. 12 in sitio Tigbao, barangay Talamban.
Natu-el said it was possible that Apa was killed to keep him from squealing on who were involved in Datu’s killing.
Apa’s body was dug up near a fence of a subdivision about 100 meters from the house of the Colinas.
Norman’s 14-year-old daughter told Cebu Daily News she did not see her father bring or keep a gun in their house.
Apa was identified by his wife.
Apa was reported missing by a relative a day after the policeman was killed.
Police said Apa, his cousins Miguel Nahuman Bihag and Miguel Tortoga Bihag were identified by witnesses as the ones who killed Datu.
Police have yet to determine the motive of the killing.
The Bihag cousins remain at large.
Charges have been filed against the suspects, police said.