Masbate cops link killings to ambush

THREE persons believed to be witnesses in the Easter Sunday murder-robbery of a gold mill operator in Aroroy town, Masbate province, were ambushed and killed by a group of heavily armed men in Masbate City on Saturday, one of whom was beheaded, police said.

Supt. Cerilo Trilles Jr., Masbate City police chief, said they were now coordinating closely with the Aroroy police in the wake of the ambush that killed the Supleto brothers Samson, 50, and Jeremiah, 47; and their driver, Flor Rapsing, 39.

The Supleto brothers, both natives of the mining town of Aroroy, and Rapsing, from Baleno town, were on board a Toyota Hilux when waylaid by about five armed men at the National Road of Purok 2, Barangay (village) Usab, Masbate City, at 12:10 p.m. Saturday.

The brothers were found dead inside their vehicle while Rapsing’s headless body was discovered on the road nearby. All of them were riddled with bullets. Rapsing’s decapitated head was still missing, said Trilles.

Trilles said their investigation showed that the Supletos were related to gold mill owner Jesus Amaro and his son Gilbert who were killed along with their family driver Ricky Almodiel in a robbery incident inside the Amaro family compound in Barangay Luy-a, Aroroy, on April 5, Easter Sunday.

The Aroroy murders were perpetrated by at least nine gunmen who masqueraded as members of the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said Trilles.

He said the Supletos were the brothers-in-law of the older Amaro while Rapsing used to work as a family driver of the Amaros.

Trilles said the Supleto brothers and Rapsing were believed to have information that could lead police to the suspects in the Amaro-Almodiel killings.

Senior Supt. Jesus Martirez, officer in charge of Masbate Provincial Police Office, ordered the creation of a task group to focus on solving the case that shook the mining town on an Easter Sunday.