Cebu Daily News / News

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‘Taho’ vendor admits role in priest rob-slay But denies masterminding crime By Fe Marie D. Dumaboc Cebu Daily News Posted date: July 10, 2009 The police yesterday arrested the remaining suspect in last Monday’s killing of Fr. Jovencio Rabusa in Talisay City. Jonas Andrade Turawan, 21, was collared past 7 a.m. outside the house of his relatives in sitio Pajo, barangay Tigues, in Poro town, Camotes Island, Cebu. While he did not deny his participation in the killing of Rabusa, he maintained that he did not plan the robbery as claimed by his two cohorts. Turawan, who was earlier identified as Tingloy, will face a complaint of robbery with homicide, along with Ruselo Rabanes, 28 and the 15-year-old boy at the Talisay Prosecutor's Office. Supt. Henry Biñas, Talisay City police chief, said it would be up to the court to order a rehabilitation program for the minor. The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, authored by Sen. Francis Pangilinan, exempts youth offenders aged 15 years and below from criminal liability. Biñas said they would include Gerald Tradio in the complaint as accessory to the crime after he admitted selling the priest's cellular phone for P1,200. Rabusa, a Catholic priest belonging to the team ministry of the parish in Naga City, Cebu, was robbed and killed about 8 p.m. on Monday along the dimly-lit area in South Coastal Road in barangay Cansojong, Talisay City. Two days later, the police arrested Tradio who admitted selling the cellular phone given to him by Rabanes and Turawan. The 15-year-old boy later surrendered. The police then moved to arrest Rabanes who was collared while eating breakfast in a house in barangay Tangke, Talisay. Both the boy and Rabanes owned up to the crime and pointed to Turawan who broached the idea of staging a robbery following a drinking spree. Rabanes said they ran out of money to buy liquor. Turawan then told the group that they would rob someone because they had nothing fun to do. When they went to the South Coastal Road, they chanced upon a man in loose shorts and shirt sitting on the road curb with the young man. The men demanded for the cellphone but the priest elbowed Rabanes and tried to run. Rabanes shot him thrice while the priest's companion ran away and asked for help in a nearby gasoline station. The teenager is now under the custody of a village official and will serve as witness. Rabanes said Turawan took the bag and the cell phone of Rabusa after the priest was shot. Turawan later threw away the bag thinking it only contained shorts, towels and books. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) and the Talisay City police coordinated with the San Francisco police station after learning that Turawan was a native of the municipality. Supt. Eduardo Saavedra, San Francisco town police chief, said they received a tip that Turawan was hiding in the house of a relative in the nearby Poro town. A joint team of policemen from San Francisco town, Talisay City and the CIDG-7 proceeded to the area and arrested the suspect who was sitting outside the house of his relative in sitio Pajo, barangay Tigis, Poro town, past 6 a.m. yesterday. Saavedra said Turawan did not resist arrest. Turawan said he went home in San Francisco, Camotes Island on Tuesday noon to tell his mother about his involvement in the priest's killing. He later changed his statement and said he went home on Wednesday noon. He said he had planned to surrender at the town hall but the policemen arrived and arrested him. Turawan admitted his involvement in the killing of Rabusa but denied the allegation that he planned the robbery. “Di na tinood, sila duha moy nangagda nako. Si Russel niingon nga koyug sa ta sa may shell nah kay mamalit daw mig ilimnon (That is not true. They asked me. Russel told me to go with them at the Shell gas station because we would buy liquor),” he said. According to Turawan, he was not able to sell taho last Monday because he went with Rabanes who invited him to a drinking session. They started drinking from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. When they ran out liquor to drink, he claimed that Rabanes said they were going to the gas station along the South Coastal Road to buy more liquor. Upon arriving in the area, boy asked Turawan to accompany him to the mango tree because he wanted to relieve himself. Then they saw Rabusa sitting on the gutter with the minor. He said he did not know that Rabanes and the boy planned to pull off a robbery. The two approached the priest while he stayed behind. “Niaksyon sukol ang pari, giwakli daw ang pusil niya dayon nidagan si Father (The priest attempted to put up a fight. He parried the gun and then ran away),” Turawan said. “Pagkadungog nako usa ka buto, na-rattle ko, nidagan dayon ko palyo nila (When I heard the gunfire, I panicked so I ran away from them),” he said. He decided to go home. When he found out that the victim was a priest, Turawan said he was filled with regret and sadness. Turawan, the youngest among 10 siblings, only finished Grade 4. He relocated to Talisay City in 2006 to work in a shell craft factory in in barangay Cansojong, where he met his live-in partner, Juvelyn, 20. The two decided to live together two years ago and was blessed with a six-month-old baby girl. To sustain the needs of his family, Turawan would sell taho on the side. Turawan denied that Rabanes was a long time friend. He said he knew Rabanes because they were neighbors but they were not close. Juvelyn came to the defense of Tuwaran whom she described as a responsible and loving father to their daughter. She said she could not believe that he would be involved in such a crime. “But-an mana siya, pangutan-a pa amu mga silingan (He is a good man. Just ask our neighbors),” she told CEBU DAILY NEWS. /with a report from Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan