INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—Police in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, are hot on the trail of a driver who was tagged in the abduction and killing of a Filipino-British boy from South Cotabato and his teenage friend.
Superintendent Joffel Siason, Isulan town police chief, said they have started preparing murder charges against Jay Sarayno, alias Pluto, who worked as a driver of the family of Robert Mallet, a 14-year-old Filipino-British boy.
The decomposing body of Mallet and his 16-year-old friend, Rey Pacifico, were found by police in a ditch in the boundary of two villages in Isulan — New Pangasinan and Laguilayan — on Tuesday.
“We have witnesses, who can confirm that the suspect was with the victims prior to the killing,” said Siason.
“The same suspect was identified by witnesses as the one who played basketball with the victims before the killing took place,” he added.
Siason said Sarayno lured the boys to play basketball in Barangay (village) New Pangasinan on Saturday. The two boys failed to come home since.
He said on Sunday, Sarayno showed up at the Mallet residence in Tantangan town and informed the boy’s mother, Lorna, that her son had been kidnapped and a P50,000 ransom was being demanded.
Siason said Lorna, fearful her son would be harmed if she refused the ransom demand, went to a bank in Koronadal City, near Tantangan, and withdrew P50,000 before going to Isulan with Sarayno.
On Monday, Siason said, a Laguilayan village official found Lorna in a state of shock along the drainage canal in the village, just 150 meters from where the bodies of the two slain teenagers were found.
Lorna has remained in critical condition at a hospital, to date, Siason said.
Siason said the manhunt against the suspect was a collaborative effort between the Isulan and the Tantangan police force.
Sarayno, he said, had fled Barangay Pangasinan with his family but the police had leads as to whereabouts.
Tantangan Mayor Benjamin Figueroa has offered P100,000 as reward money for anybody who had information that could help the police solve the Mallet and Pacifico murder cases.
“Half of the reward money will come from the local funds of the municipality of Tantangan. The remaining amount will come from my own pocket,” Figueroa said.
He said he was hoping the reward money would somehow hasten the arrest of the suspect.
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