Just a fall guy? Davantes family keeps the faith

After two agonizing weeks, the family of slain advertising manager Kristelle “Kae” Davantes is starting to get some painful answers with the arrest of a suspect in her Sept. 7 murder.

But as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced the capture of 19-year-old Samuel Decimo, the social media went abuzz with suspicions that he was just a fall guy in a celebrated case where the government had offered a P2.5-million reward for tips leading to the perpetrators’ arrest.

In an interview on Saturday, Kae’s uncle Vince said the family was “happy with the small closure.”

As to the “fall guy” talk among netizens, Vince maintained that the family continued to have “faith in the NBI and the police’s efforts and in the results of their investigation. I have faith that they will deliver additional evidence to substantiate (their findings).”

He said “it is not up to us to judge” the investigation and that the evidence coming out today would still be presented in court. “I just hope there will be progress in the case,” he said in Filipino.

Vince said Kae’s father, his brother Pedro, had asked him to coordinate with the investigators since he would be leaving the country again on Sept. 25 for the Middle East where he works as an accountant, he said.

Las Piñas City police chief Senior Supt. Adolfo Samala said the NBI would coordinate with his team in searching the house in Camella Homes, Barangay Pamplona 3, where the suspects allegedly hid Davantes’ car before abandoning it on the street.

Task Force Kae Davantes head Chief Supt. Christopher Laxa said “we are willing to turn over our documents or have a joint investigation, depending on the NBI’s decision.”

He said his team was set to meet with the NBI Saturday afternoon. Decimo remained under the custody of the NBI, though the case had not been officially turned over to the bureau.

“We’re happy someone was arrested, as long as this case is resolved. That’s the bottomline,” Laxa said.