The Special Investigation Task Force Bragas (SITG Bragas) on Monday filed rape with homicide case against four individuals for the rape-slay of 28-year-old Architect Vlanche Marie Bragas.
Despite the filing of charges, Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Colonel Albert Lupaz stressed the case is not yet closed.
The suspects are Dennis Panzan, Kent Lawrence Espinosa and Renato “Empoy” Bayansao. Another unidentified suspect is currently at large.
Calinan chief of police Major Neil Vistar shared the chronology of events based on the SITG Bragas link analysis he presented in a press conference at DCPO Monday evening.
According to the link analysis around 10:35 p.m. of May 16, 2023, Bragas arrived in Crossing Fausta, Calinan, Davao City after disembarking from a passenger jeep from SM Ecoland where she had dinner with her friends. At that moment she texted her mother that she was at Crossing Fausta, Calinan Poblacion, Calinan District, Davao City waiting for a passenger tricycle.
At 10:39 p.m., the victim was seen boarding a yellow tricycle (ongbak) heading towards the Barangay Talomo River area. The tricycle was allegedly driven by Bayansao with Espinosa as another passenger. A witness, a certain “Michael” was standing at the roadside at the junction of Crossing Fausta around 10:36 p.m. going to Brgy. Talomo River where the tricycle passed by. The witness said he was able to peek into the slow-moving trike and positively noticed the tattoo on the right arm of the passenger seated at the left side of the back seat wearing gray sando (jersey). He described the tattoo as “tribal bandage.” The witness positively identified Espinosa as the passenger.
Another witness, a certain “Joan”, narrated that she was on board her driven single motorcycle going to the corner of Megaville Subdivision in Calinan at about 10:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. of May 16, 2023 on her way to buy meat at the village meat shop, but unfortunately, it was already closed when she arrived.
She noticed that Panzan was with an unidentified companion waiting in front of an abandoned house at the Megaville Subdivision.
From 10:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. of the same day, the tricycle was seen in front of the abandoned house at the Megaville Subdivision.
The victim disembarked and while she was walking more or less one meter away from the tricycle, Panzan punched her in the face.
When the victim attempted to shout an unidentified person covered her mouth and punched her in the abdomen which knocked her unconscious.
The three suspects, Panzan, Espinoza, and an unidentified person, carried the victim to the tricycle driven by Bayansao and sped off going to Talomo River in Calinan District.
“Joan” said she clearly saw what happened as she was 5 to 7 meters away from the incident and positively identified Panzan since she is a regular customer of the meat shop where Panzan was employed as a cashier and meat vendor.
“Joan” also positively identified Bayansao as the driver of the tricycle upon learning the report that went viral in social media about the drug buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 11 (PDEA 11), National Bureau of Investigation-Davao (NBI-Davao) and the PNP on May 28, 2023, in Purok 20, Calinan, Davao City.
At 10:46 p.m. of the same day, the tricycle was seen in the CCTV footage in Anana Store at the corner of Campo 1, Talomo River, Calinan District heading towards Brgy. Dacudao, Calinan District.
At 8 a.m. of May 17, 2023, a concerned citizen informed that a dead body was found at an open contour canal at a banana plantation owned by Sarbac company located at Purok 6, Barangay Dacudao, Calinan District, Davao City. It was the body of Bragas.
Meanwhile, the SITG is still not able to pinpoint who owns the tricycle (ongbak) used in the crime. However, Lupaz said that the SITG has a lead that is being developed.
Lupaz also told the media that SITG refused to comment on the reward money.
“This case is not yet closed. Padayon gihapon ni. Material evidence like the tricycle wala pa nakita. This is not yet finsihed. Marami pa tayong gagawin nito,” he said.
It can be recalled that Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte announced giving a P1 million reward for anyone who could identify the suspect/s behind the Bragas case.
