Photo courtesy of PNP
A rented vehicle allegedly used in the abduction of a person later found dead in Cebu City helped investigators track down two suspects within two days of the crime, according to the Philippine National Police.
Police said investigators pieced together witness information, CCTV footage and vehicle details until they traced a red vehicle allegedly connected to the Sept. 3 incident to a rental car company.
The vehicle was subsequently secured for forensic examination as authorities worked to determine its possible role in the abduction and gather evidence for the case.
According to the PNP, the victim had been taken from North Poblacion in Consolacion before being found dead in Barangay Sudlon 1, Cebu City. Authorities have not disclosed the victim’s identity, the suspected motive or the circumstances surrounding the killing.
The investigation led to separate operations before dawn on Sept. 5. Police apprehended one suspect in Ermita, Cebu City, at around 3 a.m., followed by the arrest of another in Cogon, Pardo, at about 5 a.m.
Personnel from the Cebu City Police Office and Consolacion Municipal Police Station worked with other intelligence and investigative units in pursuing the case.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said placing suspects in custody was only one stage of the investigation, with authorities still validating evidence before pursuing the appropriate legal proceedings.
Police have yet to publicly detail the suspects’ alleged individual participation in the crime or announce the specific charges they will face.