By LIEZLE BASA IÑIGO
Authorities arrested five suspects just two days after the shocking discovery of two burned bodies inside a torched vehicle in Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija.
Police said the victims—later identified as Michael, 45, a government employee, and Regine, 34, a businesswoman, both residents of Palayan City, Nueva Ecija—were found inside a burned red Toyota Wigo on March 9, in front of a farm in Barangay Sinasajan.
Following intensive intelligence work, CCTV analysis, and backtracking operations, joint police units tracked down the suspects.
The five individuals—four men and one woman—were arrested on March 11 in Barangay Siempre Viva Sur, Mallig, Isabela.
The operation was carried out by the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office in coordination with other law enforcement units.
The suspects are now detained at the Peñaranda Municipal Police Station and are facing murder charges.
Initial findings revealed that the victims were shot before the car was torched, with spent cartridges recovered nearby.
Reports said Regine had dropped her child at school before meeting buyers regarding the sale of an apartment building worth ₱18 million. Michael, a rescue officer, was accompanying her as the driver.
The victims’ families suspect that two prospective buyers present during the transaction may be involved in the crime.
Investigators have yet to disclose the motive behind the killings, but authorities assured that further inquiries are underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the crime.
