Compostela cops focusing on gang-related violence as motive in driver’s killing

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are veering away from the jealousy angle and focusing on the gang-related violence angle in the August 10 killing of a habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) driver in Compostela town in northern Cebu.

Police Corporal Roland Alo of the Compostela Police Station told CDN Digital in a phone interview on Sunday, August 11, that they found out that habal-habal driver, Lenie Ochea Noval, 35, was attacked by nine persons including the arrested suspect, Joshua Canlas, 27.

According to Alo, Canlas admitted that he and his eight other still unidentified cohorts were allegedly members of the Crips Gang.

He said that they were also investigating if the alleged victim’s affiliation with a fraternity could have triggered the attack on Noval by the alleged gang members.

According to witnesses, Noval was about to board his motorcycle after eating at a barbecue stall when Canlas and his associates arrived and approached the victim and beat him up before he was stabbed by Canlas in the chest.

Read more: Jealousy eyed in habal-habal driver’s killing in Compostela town

The men quickly fled from the scene of the crime and Noval was brought to the district hospital in Danao City, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Compostela Police were able to immediately identify Canlas with the help of the witnesses and concerned citizens who reported the whereabouts of Canlas that led to his arrest around 3.pm. on the same day of the crime.

Meanwhile, the police are still looking for other witnesses who could identify the nine other suspects, who were involved in the killing of Noval./dbs