Police nab suspects in CIDG cop slay

Authorities arrested on Wednesday the suspects in the killing of an agent of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for illegal possession of firearms.

GMA News' Jonathan Andal on "Balitanghali" identified the suspects as Julius Panis and his son Aaron Paul, who allegedly perpetrated the killing of PO2 Manuel Melendres.

The victim was a nephew of Julius and a cousin of Aaron Paul, the report said.

Police investigation showed Melendres was shot to his death in front of his house in Pasig City's Barangay Caniogan last November 29.

Armed with a search warrant, police operatives raided the Panis residences, also in Barangay Caniogan.

Police recovered unlicensed guns, explosives, and ammunition from the house of the suspects.

But the Armalite rifle that was supposedly used to shoot Melendres was not found, police said.

According to the victim's wife, a dispute over family inheritance was the possible motive for the crime.

She claimed that the suspects, together with two other cohorts, gunned down her husband. But the suspects denied the allegations.

PO2 Melendres and the suspects were neighbors in one compound that was surrounded by CCTV cameras.

But a relative who had access of the monitors claimed that no video of the incident was recorded because the computer receiving the images from the CCTV cameras had no hard drive. —Dona Magsino/LBG, GMA News