Authorities arrest suspects in model’s slaying

Manila: Authorities on Saturday evening arrested four suspects in the November 6 abduction and slaying of a model/aspiring actress while one of their alleged cohorts was shot and killed by arresting policemen.

Professional jealousy and personal grudge are being seen as reasons for Althea Altamirano, as well as her boyfriend, Fernando Quiambao Jr, to conspire and kill Julie Ann Rodelas, 20, police said.

A third and fourth suspect, Jaymar Insadje and Gelan Pasawilan, were arrested by police in Culiat district in suburban Quezon City a few hours after the arrests of Altamirano and Quiambao while a still unnamed fifth suspect was slain in a shootout with police, reports said.

Rodelas had been a model for risqué magazine FHM and had been a part-time actress appearing in television for the ABS-CBN Network. Her body was found dumped on 18th Avenue in Quezon City’s Cubao district on November 6.

Reports quoted Quezon City police district director Chief Supt Mario dela Vega as saying that Altamirano and Quiambao were arrested on Saturday in connection with the slaying of Rodelas. The two led police to the hideout of the three other conspirators in Culiat, as one of them shot it out with authorities and was killed.

”Per confession of suspect Althea Altamirano, the motive of the murder of Julie Ann Rodelas is professional jealousy, hatred in their being models. She called up and convinced the victim, Julie Ann, to meet at MOA [Mall of Asia in suburban Pasay City] for an alleged project when abducted by her boyfriend Fernando Quiambao and his group,” Dela Vega wrote in his report to capital region police chief Director Leonardo Espina.

Lesson

Earlier, the ABS-CBN Network’s dzMM radio’s interview reported that Altamirano and Quiambao conspired to have Rodellas killed “to teach her a lesson”.

Chief Inspector Rodel Marcelo, head of Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said the key that led to the arrest of the suspects was a receipt found in Rodelas’ possession and CCTV footage at the Mall of Asia where she was recorded purchasing a burger at a restaurant chain.

The high-profile case came on the heels of calls for the return of the death penalty in the country amid a perceived rise in criminality.

President Benigno Aquino however, said his position against the re-imposition of the death penalty would not change despite the rise in high-profile crimes. The killing of Rodelas came more than two weeks after a promising college graduate, Cyrish Maglalang, was brutally killed in Cavite by two brothers who were later arrested by police.

Abigail Valte, palace deputy spokesperson, however, said the death penalty could be returned once authorities find a way for a more efficient administration of justice where there is no chance that a suspect could be condemned to death row.