3 Suspects in businessman’s slay nabbed after 5-day manhunt

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 20 Sept) — Police operatives arrested three suspects behind the broad daylight killing of a businessman here on Monday, September 15, following a five-day manhunt operation.

Police Lt. Rene Cuevas, deputy police chief of the San Francisco Municipal Police Station who led the operation, told Jhong Boston of Sky 101.1 FM that CCTV footage was instrumental in identifying and tracking down the suspects.

In a police report, investigators said the victim, Jeffrey Zhar Daro Escol, 39, a wood trader from Tagbina, Surigao del Sur, was shot in the head at close range, killing him instantly at around 10 a.m. Escol was at a hardware store in Barangay 5 to buy a water pipe when two men riding in tandem on a Rusi motorcycle attacked him.

Authorities identified the gunman as alias Janjie, 30, of Barangay Sabang, Lingig, Surigao del Sur, and the driver as Cris, 37, of Barangay Pagtilaan, also in Lingig. CCTV footage clearly captured their faces, which led police investigators to their whereabouts even as they attempted to hide in separate areas.

^{Screenshot from CCTV footage of the gunman and the motorcycle driver who were behind the killing of a businessman in Surge del Sur. Photo courtesy of San Francisco Municipa Police Station.}

Cuevas said the breakthrough in their investigation came when police traced the ownership of the motorcycle used in the crime. Records from a Rusi motorcycle showroom in Bislig City revealed that Cris was the second owner of the repossessed vehicle, and the registration details provided authorities with the lead to track him down.

He added that Cris made a crucial mistake by reinstalling the motorcycle’s plate number, which was later captured on CCTV along the road in Barangay Awa, Prosperidad, further confirming his identity and involvement.

During interrogation, the duo confessed to Cuevas that they had been hired by the victim’s business associate, Jesus Vigonte. Vigonte admitted to police that he ordered the attack over an unsettled debt of more than ₱100,000 that Escol had failed to pay for years.

In a separate inquiry, Vigonte tried to downplay the incident, claiming he only instructed the suspects to shoot the victim in the legs. Cuevas dismissed this as a “shallow excuse,” saying investigators are digging deeper into the case.

Cuevas also acknowledged the assistance of Lingig Municipal Police Station operatives in tracking and apprehending the suspects.

Murder charges have been filed against the three suspects before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Patin-ay, Prosperidad.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to the community for their unwavering support and cooperation. Their initiative in providing CCTV copies and witness accounts greatly helped in swiftly resolving the case. Through the combined efforts of our operatives, justice was quickly delivered to the victim and his family,” said Police Lt. Col. Milan Naz, officer-in-charge of the San Francisco Police Station.

Mayor Grace Carmel Paredes-Bravo in her social media post on Saturday commended the local police force for maintaining a high crime solution rate, noting that while achieving a zero-crime rate is difficult for an urbanized town like San Francisco, solving cases with strong evidence is proof of efficiency and commitment to public safety.

She noted that in the town’s three most recent shooting incidents, police were able to identify suspects and file cases backed by admissions and witness accounts.

Bravo lauded the leadership of. Naz, stressing that true efficiency lies not in the absence of crime but in the swift resolution of cases and the delivery of justice to victims and their families. (Chris V. Panganiban / MindaNews)