2 frat men surrender to CIDG-7
By Edwin Ian Melecio
The Freeman 06/24/2006
Two of four fraternity members tagged as responsible in the death of a graduating engineering student outside of the University of San Carlos Talamban Campus last year surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Wednesday afternoon.
Gian Paul Teves, 21, and Faviano Migraso, 22, both residents of Sambag Uno this city surrendered after learning that a warrant of arrest was already released by Regional Trial Court Judge Silvia Paderangga.
The two are members of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity, who have a chapter in the said university.
Last Tuesday, SPO4 Gil Arnejo of the Talamban Police arrested Manny Bontilao, who is tagged as a cohort of Teves and Migraso. Bontilao was attending to a sick relative at a hospital when he was arrested.
The three and a still unidentified person were allegedly the ones who ganged up on Christian Pelosa last November 23, 2005 at Nasipit Road. Pelosa was about to go home, but was allegedly waylaid by the suspects, who took turns in hitting him with a metal pipe on the head and body.
The victim was rushed to a private hospital where he died a few days later due to severe injuries in the head. Ofelia Pelosa, the victim's mother, said that her son had a cracked skull because of the beating he sustained.
SPO3 Joseph Helbert Montesclaros of the CIDG-7, who assisted the suspects surrender told this paper that they (suspects) were the ones who called CIDG-7 about their intent to surrender since they learned that a warrant of arrest out against them.
They even gave the policemen a hint that a copy of the warrant of arrest is available at the Branch 16 at the RTC.
After Montesclaros and PO2 Achilles Jimenez obtained a copy, they proceeded to a coffee shop in Barangay Capitol Site where the suspects and two relatives where waiting.
"Sila may nitawag diri unya mipahibalong mosurender daw sila, wala man mi kopya sa warrant sila pay mihatag og hint nga sa branch 16 daw, mao to nga nakauha mi og kopya," Montesclaros said.
A female student (name withheld) surfaced at the Homicide Section of Cebu City Police Office and gave investigator SPO3 Alex Dacua her statement and positively identified the suspects through the photos provided by the fraternity brothers of Pelosa few days after he died.
Pelosa was the president of Scout Royal Brotherhood in the said school and was described by his fraternity brothers as a very efficient leader.
The teary-eyed mother of the victim told the media yesterday said that God is very kind to them despite what happened to her eldest son, who was supposed to graduate last March had he not been killed.
She even cried while relating to the press how her son was beaten and left for dead by the group. She also said that when her son tried to stand up, Teves allegedly turned back towards her son hit him again with the metal pipe. Ofelia said that this was based on the testimonies of the witnesses.
"I am not just asking this (justice) for my son, but for those who are yet to become victims of these people," the mother of the victim said.
She suspects that extreme jealousy was the reason why her son was killed since according to her, Christian was a very good man, a good and efficient leader and was among the fraternity leaders in the school who are determined to abolish hazing during initiation rites.
She told the media that there was an alleged attempt from the suspect's party to have the case settled amicably but she refused the offer. She would not however divulge what the offer was saying that no matter what they would give, it will not bring back her son.
On the other hand, Migraso's mother, Helen was elated when she saw the media people and gave a quick interview airing her son's innocence on the crime, but never gave a full detail on the whereabouts of her son that fateful night.
She believed that there were other people who saw the incident and asked them to come out and testify since she pities her son, who is also about to graduate this year had they not been suspended from school because of the incident.
She said, they were waiting for the progress of the case and never tried to hide her son until the warrant of arrest was out.
Teves and Migraso were committed to Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center yesterday afternoon after the court signed their commitment order.