Murders in Masbate mining town puzzle cops as assailants wore police shirts

LEGAZPI CITY—Nine gunmen posing as policemen shot dead three persons—a gold mill owner, his son and their family driver—at dawn of Easter Sunday in the mining town of Aroroy in Masbate province, according to police.

SPO1 Zandro Cabintoy, spokesperson for the Masbate police office, in a phone interview, said Jesus Amaro, 64, a gold mill owner; his son Gilbert, 36, and their family driver, Ricky Almodiel, were killed inside the Amaro family compound in Barangay (village) Luy-a, Aroroy, at 4:30 a.m.

Investigation showed the assailants—nine men wearing police uniforms—were armed with .45 cal. pistols and M-16 rifles when they entered the family compound by jumping over the fence.

Cabintoy said the assailants tied the hands of security guard Alwin Licip, 23, and helper Steve Ramones, 43, both with known home addresses in Barangay Tinapian, Baleno, Masbate.

Inside the house, a duplex occupied by the three victims, the suspects looked for Jesus.

Cabintoy said Gilbert, who was roused by the commotion, refused to point to his father’s room. This angered one of the gunmen who shot Gilbert in the chest and head, killing him on the spot.

A few minutes later, one of the suspects asked at gunpoint Almodiel, who was also awakened, to knock on the door of Jesus’ room.

When Jesus opened the door, the suspects dragged him and Almodiel to the living room and shot them dead, Cabintoy added.

The gunmen ransacked Jesus’ room and took an undetermined quantity of silver, a shoulder bag with an unknown amount of gold, assorted jewelry and a .45 cal. pistol.

Cabintoy said the gunmen also took a white Nissan Safari Patrol owned by the Amaros that served as their getaway vehicle.

Investigators said that at 5 a.m., or half an hour after the attack, and upon reaching Milagros town, 33 kilometers from Aroroy, the gunmen stopped motorcycle driver Rodel Condrelon, 17.

They took Condrelon’s motorcycle at gunpoint before heading to the direction of Masbate City, leaving the Nissan Safari Patrol behind.

Policemen from Milagros, led by PO3 Pablo Rico, found the Patrol abandoned.

Inside the Patrol were guns, ammunition and gun parts. Also found were police uniforms, one of which had an embroidered marking with the name “PO2 Sanchez” but without a badge number. Two Philippine National Police commemorative license plates were also found.

Cabintoy said documents like a deed of sale, special power of attorney and tax declaration were also found in the Patrol.

Cabintoy said the case was entered in the police blotter as robbery with multiple homicide and car theft.

Senior Supt. Jesus Martirez, officer in charge of the provincial police office, ordered the creation of Special Investigation Task Group Amaro.

He said the motive of the crime was primarily robbery as the Amaros were known financiers of local gold panners.

“They were known as multimillionaires there (in Aroroy),” Martirez said.

He said the investigation also showed the gunmen destroyed closed-circuit television cameras in the compound and house, an indication that the suspects knew their way around the area.