Police unearth body of murder victim in Quezon

LUCENA CITY, Philippines  – Police arrested an 18-year-old  boy in Guinayangan town in Quezon province early dawn Tuesday while his cohort is being hunted down after they were linked to the brutal murder of a man a month ago.

Arrested was Godofredo Sales Jr., 18, one of the prime suspects in the killing of Gregorio Rocha, 32, last February 7, Senior Supt. Osmundo de Guzman, Quezon police director, said in a report. Sales and his unidentified cohort later buried Rocha’s body, police said.

Report said May-Ann Gonzales and Laiza Cericos, reported to the police about a buried body outside Sales’ house in Barangay Calimpak at around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Policemen rushed to the area and found Rocha’s buried remains.

According to Gonzales and Cericos, they visited Sales’ house on February 12 where they also found KC Einstein de la Concepcion. Both suspects were friends of the informants.

Police said the two suspects reportedly revealed to their visitors about how they buried Rocha on February 7 around 3 a.m.

Police said that to prove to Gonzales and Cericos that there was a buried body, the suspects dug a spot that showed the feet of the victim.

Local police later arrested Sales while Concepcion still remains at large.

Senior Insp. Ginalyn de Leon, Guinayangan police chief, said that based on their initial investigation, Rocha was killed by the suspects after he allegedly defaulted on a promise he had made.

De Leon said the case is still under investigation. Sales is now detained at the town police jail. /muf