The Dagupan City Police Station (DCPS) has declared the robbery and killing of three employees at the Floren Hotel solved following the arrest of the two crime suspects.

This was revealed by chief of police P/Supt. Edgar Basbas during a press conference held at DCPS yesterday (Dec 27) even as he said that the two arrested suspects have already confirmed their participation to the crime.

Ilocos regional police director C/Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil, Mayor Benjamin S. Lim, and provincial director P/Supt. Alan Purisima commended the personnel of DCPS headed by P/Supt. Basbas, PNP-Pangasinan, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for working overtime to solve the case.

“I have directed to solve the case the soonest time, but I didn’t expect that it will be solved so soon,” Bataoil said.

Mayor Lim admired the deep commitment of the police, even sacrificing their Christmas celebration with their families, and the collaboration of the various police agencies to immediately arrest the suspects and bring justice to the victims.

“I gave P/Supt. Basbas 72 hours to solve the case but the police arrested the suspects within just seven hours after the incident,” Lim said.

According to Basbas, the incident was reported to the police by a tricycle driver at around 4:15 to 4:30 a.m of December 24. When the police responded, they found three bodies sprawling with blood at the lobby of the hotel and at the coffee shop. They were identified as Jojo Calumagan, roomboy, Michael Belo, roomboy, and Joross Adress.
Adress, who was half conscious then, was rushed to the Region I Medical Center (RIMC). He is now at the state of recovery at the hospital.

The cadaver of Arcyl Molano, on the other hand, was found at the stock room. She was found with her pants lowered down below her buttocks.

City health officer Leonard Carbonell, who performed the autopsy of the victims, clarified that based on the examination done to the external genetalia of Molano revealed no bruises, hematoma and lacerations, thus, there was no sexual assault committed to the victim.

Basbas said that the suspects used a 2X4 wood in beating the victims. The weapon was recovered near the kitchen at the back of the hotel.

Basbas pointed out that the crime is considered a premeditated case with a motive of robbery since the P44,000 cash money inside the drawer at the counter was missing.

The arrested suspects who were presented to the media were: Victor Dalisay, 44, a reliever security guard of the hotel and resident of Calunitan, Sison, Pangasinan, and Jhun-Jhun Romero, 26, laundry boy of the hotel, and a resident of Pogo Grande.

Dalisay was arrested through the help of the Sison police force.

Meanwhile, one unidentified suspect is still at large. He has a rose tattoo on his right arm, about 5’4 inches in height, medium built, has a fair complexion and was wearing bonnet during the crime incident.

Basbas said that the statements of Adress, the survivor to the crime, helped the police in identifying the suspects. (Sunshine D. Robles)