Suspect in Ozu Ong’s slay sings; 5 charged for murder

MANILA, Philippines — Five men have been charged for the murder of Masculados Dos member Marcelo “Ozu” Ong after one of the suspects confessed to his participation in the crime.

The extra-judicial confession of Kristopher Kyle Ernie naming his four cohorts in the killing of Ong, 30, has prompted the Rizal provincial police office to charge the suspects.

Senior Supt. Bernabe Balba, Rizal provincial police director, named the two other suspects as James Ilano, 34, a tricycle driver, and Paulo Hernandez, 34, a call center agent.

The two other suspects remained unidentified although they were also charged with murder and car theft just like the three identified suspects.

In a press briefing in Camp Crame on Thursday, Balba said they were able to get leads on the August 2 killing in Angono, Rizal.

On that day, Ong was on his way home to Primrose Hills Subdivision aboard his brand new Toyota Hilux when he was followed by robbers. His attackers shot him, with Ong dying later in the hospital.

Ernie, one of the suspects, was arrested last September 14 for drug possession with three others in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

The suspects were aboard the missing Subaru Forester owned by seaman John Arnest Agbayani, who was reported missing onAugust 16 and found dead in Tagaytay City, two days later.

However, police have yet to determine if Agbayani and Ong were killed by the same people.

“We received information that one of the suspects in the Ong case was detained in Dasmariñas. Ernie eventually confessed on what he knew about the murder of Ong since he was one of the suspects,” Balba said.

Ernie said he drove the maroon Toyota Innova used as the getaway vehicle after Ong’s murder. He was with Ilano, who gunned down Ong, and Hernandez.

Hernandez was arrested with Ernie while aboard Agbayani’s missing Subaru Forester.

Ernie added that he threw away the license plates of Ong’s Toyota Hilux and the victim’s belongings at the Bukal Bridge in Pala Pala, Dasmarinas, Cavite.

Police later recovered the items – a license plate, a cal. 45 pistol, a fired shell, ATM and ID cards, a passport, reading glasses, and the victim’s black boots.

Balba said ballistics examinations showed that the slug recovered from Ong’s body was discovered to have been fired from the pistol thrown away by Ernie. SFM