BAGUIO CITY – The City Government has put up a one hundred thousand pesos cash reward for whoever could help police investigators to effect the arrest of the three knife-wielding individuals who brutally murdered a 16-year old student of the Pines City National High School (PCNHS) along Labsan Street, Kayang Extension, here, Tuesday morning.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said the cash reward will be taken from one of the accounts of the local government that has sufficient savings to help in the immediate resolution of one of the celebrated crimes that was recently committed in the city and has again tainted the city’s peace and order campaign.
“We are saddened by the brutal murder of an innocent young student who was simply on his way to school at the time of the commission of the crime. We appeal to possible witnesses to help our investigators ascertain the identity of the suspects so that they will be made to answer for the crime they committed,” Domogan stressed.
The local chief executive pointed out there is a need for the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) to work double time for the immediate resolution of the crime so that it will not be again used to depict a worsening peace and order situation amidst the sudden change in the leadership of the BCPO.
Kenneth Pacheco Velasco, 16, a Grade 10 student of the PCNHS, was on his way to school and decided to take the shorter route when he was waylaid by the three still unidentified knife-wielding suspects, who allegedly took his cellphone, tablet, and P200 pocket money, before stabbing him at least 40 times, most of which were on his neck, that caused his instantaneous death.
The murdered student was described by his parents to be a responsible individual who helped in the household chores and vowed to be the bread winner of the family once he will be able to finish his studies considering that his father is still recovering from a stroke.
Domogan underscored the cooperation of the public in such cases is important because witnesses must provide the investigators with the descriptions of the suspects that could guide them to effect their arrest and answer for the crime that they committed.
According to him, he could not understand why the suspects went to the extent of killing the student when their primary intention was to take his personal belongings and valuables.
He directed police investigators to exert extra effort to identity the suspects and arrest them soonest..
He insinuated that the incident created fear among students making use of the shorter route leading to the PCNHS, thus, barangay officials and law enforcers must make sure that there will be the constant presence of uniformed and non-uniformed policemen in the area to guarantee the safety of those using the route and gather more information about the suspects who perpetrated the crime./By Dexter A. See#
