DAVAO CITY —The Special Investigation Task Group Bragas has filed rape with homicide cases against four persons who allegedly raped and choked to death the 28-year-old architect Vlance Marie Bragas.
Bragas, 28, was found dead in a ditch with her lower portion naked within the vicinity of a banana plantation in Purok 6, Barangay Dacuda, Calinan district at around 8:00 in the morning on May 18. She was last seen on May 17 at around 10:39 boarding a yellow “Umbak”, an improvized version of a tricycle at the corner of Fausta Street in Calinan District this city.
Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Colonel Alberto Lupaz in a press conference on Monday, June 5, revealed that the suspects Dennis Roy Panzan, Kent Laurence Metegreto Espinosa, Renato Ali Bayansao-known as Empoy, and one John Doe know each other and are allegedly into drugs.
“Magkakilala sila (they know each other) and they are into illegal drugs. It was a premeditated crime because they studied the pattern of the victim from going out of the house up to the time she comes home, Lupaz told Newsline.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) XI regional director Atty. Archie Albao, affirmed Lupaz statement saying the suspects were monitoring her.
Albao narrated that when the NBI operatives apprehended Bayansao for possession of illegal drugs, the operatives found in his possession three automated teller machine (ATM) cards of Bragas.
Major Neil M. Vistar, Calinan chief of the Calinan Davao precinct, said the witnesses in their affidavits revealed they recognized the suspects.
Vistar believed that the suspects raped and killed Bragas at the place where her cadaver was found in a banana plantation in Calinan hours after she went missing.
The Philippine National Police autopsy result showed that Bragas died due to “asphyxia by manual strangulation.” The same report found “recent genital trauma,” which confirmed that the victim was raped
A witness whom Vistar identified only as a Michael, told the SITG that he was just a few steps away from the suspect when she boarded the “Umbak” a locally fabricated trike, when Bragas boarded at around 10:39 on May 17.
While a lady witness in her affidavit stated that the trike almost hit her while she was walking and she looked and recognized the driver as Bayansao.
In a video obtained by NewsLine Philippines, the mobile phone of a passenger inside the car was turned on, meaning that the passenger was sending a message to someone whomever she was talking to.”
According to the Pansan family, they were at a party the time when the crime happened and showed a video to substantiate this.
While Bayansao’s family claimed he was at the house when the crime was committed and does not know how to drive but Lupaz said the Land Transportation Office record shows that Bayansao acquired a motorbike through a loan.
“Paano siya magkuha ng motor kung hindi sya marunong magmaneho (Why will he get a motor if he does not know how to drive,” Lupaz emphasized.
His wife also told reporters that her husband who is a mountaineering guide was preparing for a trek and is not in any way connected with any illegal drugs activity.
Police believe their case is strong based on evidence gathered, testimony of witnesses and CCTV footage.
Lupaz said the P1-million reward is still intact because they have yet to local the trike but said they expanded their search.
Calinan Barangay Captain Ursi Ungab told Newsline, there are around 5,000 tricycles operating in his barangay, of which 1,000 are “Umbak” and around 400 are colored yellow but the unit which Bragas boarded seemed not from his Barangay.
