Police probing construction worker who went missing after nursing students' killing

The chief of the Northern Police District (NPD) on Tuesday said there were already persons of interest in the murder of three nursing students in a subdivision in North Caloocan over the weekend. 

At a press briefing, Police Brigadier General Ronaldo Ylagan bared the identities of the four persons of interest: 

• Anselmo "Kalbo" Tingcol — stay-in worker at the construction site but went missing after the incident; 
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• Adonis and Alden Tingcol — construction workers but they are not stay-in; and 
• Dingding Sarmiento — cousin of one of the victims. 

Ylagan said Adonis and Alden are relatives of Anselmo. He said the two already presented themselves at the police station and provided respective statements on the incident. 

"Kahapon po ay lumutang na sila sa police station at nagbigay ng statements," Ylagan said.

He also said Sarmiento expressed willingness to also give his statement as part of the investigation of the case. According to Ylagan, Sarmiento was terminated from the construction site after one of the victims allegedly caught him using illegal drugs. 

Ylagan said police have yet to determine the motive of the incident but the focus of the investigation is on Anselmo. 

"Tinitingnan din po natin kung may nakuhang gamit. 'Yung mga cellphone nila, nandoon lahat. Tinitingnan pa po natin talaga kung ano ang motibo. Nakatutok 'yung imbestigasyon kay Anselmo Tingcol," Ylagan said. 

The police official noted that a kitchen knife and a floor mat with blood stains was recovered at the barracks of Anselmo. Ylagan added that the brothers of Anselmo tried to contact him after the incident but to no avail. 

Three nursing students were stabbed to death at a house being constructed in Amparo Subdivision. 

The victims were identified as Glydl Belonio, Arjay Belencio, and Mona Habibolla.

Police earlier said a kitchen knife and an ice pick were used in the crime. 

It is also likely that the victims knew the suspects as there was no sign of forced entry at the crime scene, the investigators said. —KG, GMA News