Police claim breakthrough in Ozu Ong slay case

A suspect detained in connection with the killing of a seaman in Cavite province has spilled the beans about the killing of Masculados Dos member Marcelo "Ozu" Ong in early August, police said Thursday.

Kristopher Kyle Ernie was arrested on September 14, 2015, together with three others for possession of illegal drugs while inside a Subaru Forester Wagon owned by John Arnest Agbayani, the seaman who was found dead in Tagaytay City days after he was reported missing with his vehicle.

"Kristopher Kyle Ernie y Cruz confessed and with the presence of his lawyer executed his sworn statement and revealed his knowledge about the shooting incident resulting in the death of Marcelo Ong," said Supt. Chitadel Carandang Gaoiran of the CALABARZON police.

Ernie supposedly claimed that he was the driver of the group that killed Ong near his home in Angono, Rizal, on the wee hours of August 3. Ong's Toyota Hilux Pick-Up, which he was driving at that time, was taken by the suspects.

Police said Ernie identified his cohorts as Jaime Ilano alias Toto Laki, the alleged gunman, and Paulo Hernandez, a call center agent, both residents of Cavite province.

Hernandez is currently detained in Dasmariñas in connection with the John Arnest Agbayani case, the police added.

Gaoiran said aside from identifying his cohorts, Ernie admitted to throwing the license plates of the Toyota Hilux Pick-Up and other belongings owned by Ong at Bukal Bridge in Barangay Pala Pala in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

The items were recovered when Dasmarinas and Angono police went to the area to check Ernie's statement.

The search, according to Gaoiran, resulted in the recovery of the AAO-2722 license plate for Ong's Hilux, one caliber .45 pistol marked BERSA with Serial No. B23529, one caliber .45 auto-fired cartridge case with one magazine inserted; pieces of ATMS and IDs in the name of Marcelo De Guzman Ong and Vassyleen Kyrillis y Delos Santos, Ong's Philippine passport, a pair of reading glasses, and black Oakley boot.

"Angono Municipal Police Station requested for firearm verification on the recovered firearms," Gaoiran said. "Upon cross matching examination done by the Regional Crime Laboratory, the bullet taken from the body of Marcelo Ong during the autopsy was found to have been fired from the cal. 45 pistol marked BERSA."

Murder and carnapping cases have already been filed against Ernie, Hernandez and Ilano with the Office of the Rizal Provincial Prosecutor in Taytay, Rizal, in connection with the killing of Ong. —KBK, GMA News