TACLOBAN CITY — Police have filed two counts of kidnapping with double homicide against three men in connection with the abduction and killing of former Abuyog, Leyte Vice Mayor James Bohol and his son, Carlo, saying the evidence gathered is sufficient to support prosecution.
The charges were filed on Thursday, July 2, before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Abuyog against Mark James Taboy, 30; Kim Solayao, 27; and Reniel Galza, 24, all residents of Basey, Samar.
The three suspects are currently under police custody at the Mayorga Municipal Police Station after surrendering to authorities in Pasay City late Monday night, June 30.
Police said the filing of charges came less than a week after the crime, citing forensic evidence, witness testimonies, and the suspects’ movements before and after the incident as key pieces of evidence supporting the case.
Former vice mayor James Bohol, 60, and his 30-year-old son, Carlo, were reported missing after they were allegedly abducted from their warehouse in Mayorga, Leyte, on June 27.
Their bodies were found three days later in a ravine in Barangay Imelda, Silago, Southern Leyte, following an extensive search operation. Authorities later confirmed through forensic and medico-legal examinations that the recovered bodies were those of the missing father and son.
Leyte Police Provincial Director Col. Celerino Sacro said investigators believe the suspects were attempting to evade arrest after the killings.
“Based on the timeline, they were really planning to escape,” Sacro said during a media briefing on Thursday.
According to investigators, the victims were allegedly abducted in Mayorga, transported through Abuyog, and their bodies were later dumped in the mountainous area of Silago. Police tracked the suspects to Pasay City, where they eventually surrendered to local authorities.
Investigators have yet to determine why the suspects traveled to Pasay or whether they intended to leave Metro Manila.
The charges were filed despite claims made by Taboy in a circulating video that the deaths resulted from an act of self-defense and that there was no intention to kill the victims.
Leyte Police Provincial Office legal officer Lt. Col. Annaliza Centeno said the claim would ultimately be evaluated by the court.
“That is his defense, but it will be the court that will determine whether it was indeed an act of self-defense,” Centeno said.
Taboy alleged that Carlo Bohol had threatened to kill their families.
However, medico-legal findings showed that former vice mayor Bohol sustained three stab wounds to the neck, while his son suffered six stab wounds in the same area, underscoring the brutality of the attack.
Investigators declined to identify which of the three suspects allegedly inflicted the fatal wounds, saying the matter would be presented as part of the prosecution’s evidence during trial.
Police are continuing to investigate the motive behind the killings.
Centeno said one of the primary angles being pursued is an alleged unpaid loan that Taboy had obtained from the former vice mayor.
“That is one of the motives that we are considering,” she said, adding that investigators are also looking into other possible motives but declined to elaborate to avoid jeopardizing the ongoing investigation.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA, ROEL T. AMAZONA)
