‘Suspect’ in killing of Cebu student arrested in Davao City

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A man believed to be a suspect in the brutal killing of 16-year-old Cristine Silawan was arrested here on Friday afternoon, March 15. 

According to Police Brigadier General Marcelo Morales, Southern Mindanao police chief, Jonas Bueno was arrested in Purok Santiago, Barangay Matina Crossing, Davao City, at around 5 pm. 

He was arrested over the killing of another victim, 62-year-old Trinidad Batucan from Danao City, Cebu, whose face was also skinned. 

A combined team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 11, the Regional Intelligence Group 11, the local police, and the National Bureau of Investigation made the arrest. 

Bueno’s arrest was carried out under Oplan Pagtugis, through a warrant issued by Danao City Regional Trial Court Judge Jerry Dicdican in connection with Batucan’s gruesome murder. 

Police Chief Inspector Milgrace Driz, who headed the arresting CIDG team, said Bueno did not resist arrest.

She said the arresting team had found out that Bueno had been using an alias while living in Matina Crossing here.

“He has been known in the area as Jason Martel,” she added.

Bueno was the remaining suspect in the Batucan murder. His siblings Junrey and Juvy were killed in a police operation shortly after Batucan’s killing.

The similarity in the killings had prompted police to consider Bueno as a suspect in the Silawan killing.

Silawan, a Grade 9 student of Maribago High School, was found naked from the waist down, her face skinned to the bone, in a vacant lot in Barangay Bangkal, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu on Monday, March 11.

Police Colonel Manuel Abrugena, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, was quoted by Cebu media as saying they were not discounting the possibility that the two murder incidents were related.

The Bueno siblings were said to be cultists.

“There is a probability, but so far we don’t have evidence that would connect the two incidents,” he was quoted as saying.

Matina Crossing residents living near the house where Bueno and her live-in partner Connie Nacion were staying said the couple arrived in the area about 4 days ago.

But Nacion told the arresting operatives that they had been staying in Matina Crossing for two weeks already, and that Bueno could not have possibly killed Silawan.

Bueno is currently undergoing investigation here. – Rappler.com