Two persons, one a minor, tagged among the five suspects in the stabbing of a businessman and his brother-in-law in Brgy. 2 Poblacion, Manapla, Sunday night were arrested by policemen yesterday.

Senior Inspector Jose Laboyo, Manapla police chief, yesterday identified one of those arrested suspects as Mark Edward Prino, 25, and a 16-year-old whose identity is being withheld for being a minor.

Laboyo said Prino and four of his companions waylaid and tried to rob businessman Jose Lim, alias Boy Sumbing, and his brother-in-law, Efren Samodio.

Lim died of a stab wound, while being treated at the Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod City , while Samodio survived a stab wound in the stomach, police investigations showed.

Laboyo said the victims fought back against suspects, who stabbed them.

Police records showed the 16-year-old had been arrested in previous years for robbery but was later freed for being a minor.

Laboyo said the two suspects were positively identified by witnesses as among those involved in the stabbing of Lim and Samodio.

Two other robbery-hold-up incidents also took place in Brgys. 2 poblacion and Purisima in Manapla, with an employee of a Keru Burger Machine and a secretary of hacienda as victims.

Four unidentified suspects armed with handguns and bladed weapons, robbed Liza Panes, employee of Keru Burger Machine, of P1,200 in cash and a 3315 Nokia cellphone in Brgy. 2 poblacion, Manapla on Feb. 8.

Five other unidentified suspects also robbed at gunpoint an hacienda cashier of P140,000 payroll money in Brgy. Purisima, Manapla, early this month.

Laboyo said they are looking into the possibility that suspects involved in three incidents belong to one group.*GPB

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