Search on for 3 missing suspects in Yvonette Plaza murder

DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – Authorities are searching for three of the 10 suspects in the controversial Yvonette Chua Plaza murder case. 

The suspects went missing before the police filed a murder complaint against them and seven others, including the alleged mastermind, former Presidential Security Group (PSG) chief Brigadier General Jesus Durante III.

“As far as I know, three suspects are missing,” Davao Region police chief Brigadier General Benjamin Silo Jr. on Friday, January 27. 

Army officials suspected that the soldiers’ disappearance had something to do with the murder, Silo said. 

Those missing include two soldiers and a civilian who served as a military man Friday.

Major Eudisan Gultiano, the spokesperson of the Special Investigation Task Group Yvonette Plaza, said Private 1st class Romart Longakit went missing and Private 1st class Rolly Cabal has gone AWOL.

“Efforts are ongoing to locate the other two respondents (Longakit and Cabal),” said Philippine Army spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar on Friday.

The whereabouts of a third suspect, Noel Japitan – a civilian who served soldiers as a “striker” or sidekick – is also unknown. 

Under custody

A police matrix released this week showed that Japitan, alias Entod, was the man allegedly ordered to repaint and dismantle parts of a motorcycle used in the bloody gun attack on December 29, outside Plaza’s home in Davao City.

Durante, who was the commander of the Army’s 1001st Brigade at the time of the murder, and at least seven others are respondents in a murder complaint submitted by the police to Davao prosecutors on Wednesday, January 25.

Aside from murder, the Army general, his former deputy commander, Colonel Michael Licyayo, and Staff Sergeant Gilbert Plaza, were also accused of obstruction of justice along with two John Does.

Except for Longakit and Cabal, all the identified soldiers have been placed under military custody, including confessed hitman Sergeant Delfin Sialsa Jr., and Corporal Adrian Cachero who allegedly drove a motorcycle used in the shocking attack.

Silo said Longakit was vital to the Plaza murder case, and was “the biggest link.” He did not give more details.

Team play

Based on the matrix shown by the police, Longakit and Cabal served as lookouts for a team allegedly led on the ground by Staff Sergeant Plaza.

The staff sergeant was the same man who was allegedly ordered by Durante’s deputy commander to burn the murder victim’s handbag, cellphone, a credit card, and an identification card, based on the extrajudicial confession of Sergeant Sialsa, the self-confessed gunman.

Silo said the enlisted Army soldiers – including Longakit before he went missing – had provided authorities with sufficient information and pieces of evidence.

“The suspects and I talked in my office. They told me that, after they executed extrajudicial confessions, they were able to sleep well,” said Silo.

Sialsa and Cachero, who allegedly rode a motorcycle in tandem during the attack, had executed extrajudicial confessions, showed the police matrix.

“We have very strong evidence, and there are more to come to meet the challenge of establishing a probable cause,” said Silo.

The 38-year-old Plaza, a pharmaceutical firm representative, businesswoman, and model, just stepped out of her car and was near the gate of her rented house when she was shot at point-blank range in the village of Mintal in Davao’s Tugbok district, just two nights before New Year’s Eve.

General’s denials

None of the suspects have responded to the accusations after the police filed the complaint on Wednesday. But Durante earlier strongly denied having any hand in the murder of Plaza, whom he said was his close friend. He had also condoled with her family.

Durante, who led the PSG during part of the Duterte administration – from February 2020 to August 2021 – had also denied beating up Plaza.

Plaza had posted photos of her facial injuries and alleged in a social media post months before her murder, claiming, “Jes Durante did this to me.”

Durante had claimed that Plaza had retracted her accusation long before the vigilante-style killing. The general’s claim could not be independently verified as of posting time.

Sad Army probes

In a January 27 statement, the Army said it was saddened by the alleged involvement of soldiers in the Plaza murder case.

“Through the years, the AFP has always shown its respect to human rights and that it will never condone any unlawful act of its members. Once again, we have demonstrated this by the cooperation we have extended to the SITG Plaza in the conduct of the investigation,” said Army spokesperson Aguilar.

Davao Region police said several suspects first confessed to the crime before a military board of inquiry, while the National Bureau of Investigation’s digital forensics work allowed them to build their case and file the complaint less than a month after the murder.

Aguilar said the Army has taken proactive measures to further help in the resolution of the case.

Durante, Licyayo, and three enlisted Army personnel under military custody “will be made available to face the charges that will be filed against them,” Aguilar said.

He said the Army was also conducting a parallel investigation into the respondents’ possible violations of Articles of War and existing Armed Forces regulations without prejudice to the ongoing criminal proceedings.

The Army also extended its sympathies to Plaza’s family.

“To the family of Yvonette, we feel your grief and pain. Please accept our condolences and we are one with you in praying for her eternal peace,” said Aguilar. – Rappler.com