Suspects in Pampanga online seller couple’s shooting in police custody — PNP

Some of the suspects in the fatal shooting of a married couple who worked as online sellers in Mexico, Pampanga are in police custody, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.

In a press briefing, PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said the suspects will be presented to the media after their inquest proceedings on Tuesday.

“Today po, nakatakda pong mag-inquest po yung [Pampanga Police Provincial Office]. And I understand after ng inquest po, they will be presenting some of the suspects,” Fajardo said.

(Today, the Pampanga Police Provincial Office is scheduled to conduct an inquest. And I understand after the inquest, they will be presenting some of the suspects.)

“Meron po silang mga suspek under custody particularly yung riding-in-tandem (They have suspects under custody, particularly the riding-in-tandem),” she added.

According to Fajardo, the riding-in-tandem suspects were identified as some witnesses saw them without a covering on their face.

In the "24 Oras" report of Jun Veneracion on Tuesday, the mastermind had a P13 million debt after availing beauty products from the victims.

“’Yung ating suspect na mastermind ay engaged din sa online products, so kung mawawala yung mag-asawa siya na yung magiging exclusive distributor and at the same time mawawala na utang niya,” said PRO-3 Regioinal Director Police Brigadier General Redrico Maranan.

(Our mastermind is also engaged in online products, so if the married couple was removed then he will be the exclusive distributor and his debt would be gone.)

The mastermind reportedly started looking into gun-for-hire on August, booking a contract with the group of suspects for over P900,000 for both victims.

The organized gun-for-hire group was allegedly involved in 12 different cases in Central Luzon.

“Ang una nga pong instruction niya sa mga gun-for-hire na ito ay pasukin yung bahay ng mag asawa[ng] Lulu. Kuhanin ang tseke na talbog worth P13 million and pati ang dalawang cellphone, pero ang revelation ng gunman hindi po uubra mahirap,” shared Pampanga PPO Provincial Director Police Colonel Jay Dimaandal.

(His first instructions for the gun-for-hire is to enter the house of the Lulus. They have to take the P13-million bounced check and even the two cellphones, but the gunman revealed that it will not be possible and was too difficult.)

Police were able to seize guns, grenade, clothes, helmets and the motorcycle allegedly used by the suspect during the killing.

The couple was shot dead inside their car in Mexico town on October 4.

Based on CCTV footage, a motorcycle with two passengers was following the victims’ black pick-up truck in Barangay Sto. Rosario. The victims were with their child and a young relative.

The riders stopped the motorcycle and one of them walked towards the vehicle, then the duo fled the scene a few seconds later.

According to the police investigation, Arvin was shot six times and Lerma three. — with Jiselle Casucian/BAP, GMA Integrated News