PHILIPPINE National Police chief Oscar Albayalde confirmed on Tuesday, June 5, the arrest of the suspect in the killing of Ombudsman Assistant Special Prosecutor Madonna Joy Tanyag.
The suspect, identified as jeepney barker Angelito Galvez Avenido alias "Moymoy", was arrested by the police in Culiat, Quezon City around 6 p.m. on Monday, June 4, about six hours after Tanyag was stabbed dead. He will charged with robbery with homicide.
Recovered from the suspect were several of Tanyag's belongings such as identification card, pouch containing P9,000 and cellphone.
Tanyag was about to board her vehicle in front of a lottery outlet along Visayas Avenue in Barangay Vasra at around 11:20 a.m. Monday when the suspect arrived and stabbed her thrice.
The victim, who was nearly five months pregnant, was declared dead at the East Avenue Medical Center at about 12:04 p.m. Monday.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Guillermo Eleazar said Avenido was arrested during hot pursuit operations.
He was identified by a witness and through the CCTV (closed circuit television) footages in the area. The witness, Rogelio Dairo, told the police that Avenido confided to him about his involvement in the stabbing incident.
Based on initial investigation, Eleazar said Tanyag refused to give her bag to Avenido. This prompted the suspect to stab her.
"Hanggang sa ngayon ang tinitignan nating motibo dito ay robbery-holdup. Nanlaban ang ating biktima kaya sinaksak siya nitong suspect," Eleazar said.
(We are looking at robbery-holdup as the motive. The victim was stabbed by the suspect because she fought back.)
In a press conference in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City Tuesday noon, Avenido admitted the killing but said it was never his intention. All he wanted was to get her bag.
"'Yung mga pangyayari hindi ko sadya. Nag-agawan lang kami (ng bag) lang kami hanggang sa ganun," Avenido said.
"Humihingi ako ng pasensya sa mga pamilya nya," he added.
(I did not mean to kill her. We fought over her bag. I apologize to her family.)
Crisostomo Tanyag, husband of the victim, can barely say a word after seeing Avenido.
He commended the police for the arrest of the suspect.
"Kung nabubuhay pa ang aking asawa sasabihin niya na naniniwala pa rin siya sa batas at hustisya,"he said.
(If my wife were alive, she would have said that she still believes in justice and the law.)
They have been together for four years and have a two-year-old daughter.
Albayalde said background investigation on the suspect, a native of Bula, General Santos City in Mindanao, showed that he recently got out of jail in General Santos City.
He said Avenido was detained from 2007 to February 2018 over drug charges which were dismissed "due to technicalities."
"Bumalik siya dito sa Manila ng March from General Santos dahil mainit siya doon dahil reportedly may sinaksak din siya doon at namatay din," said Albayalde.
(He also reportedly stabbed somebody dead in General Santos that's why he came here last March.)
The suspect is also facing charges for beating up his live-in partner.
The Quezon City Police District has created a Special Investigation Task Group for the conduct of an in-depth investigation on the matter. (VoxPop Philippines