TWO suspects in the killing of an 11-year old girl and an eight-year-old boy in San Jose del Monte City last Wednesday are now under the custody of the local police and will be facing criminal charges after they confessed to the gruesome crime, Philippine National Police chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar announced on Sunday.

The PNP chief said local police investigators have also established a major breakthrough in their continuing probe on the killing of the two young victims whose bodies were found in a dense forest in San Jose del Monte City.

Eleazar motored to the city to condole with the families of the two victims and assure them of a speedy investigation to give them the justice they fully deserve.

“Matibay ang mga leads at ebidensiya na hawak ng mga imbestigador natin na posibleng magturo sa salarin. Hindi titigil ang PNP hangga’t hindi nakakamit ang hustisya sa kasong ito,” he said after visiting the wake of the victims.

Eleazar was joined by Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) director, Brigadier Gen. Valeriano T. de Leon.

Shortly before noon last Wednesday, local police investigators acting on reports from citizens, discovered the bodies of the two victims, both residents of Barangay Gumaoc East who were reported missing Tuesday.

Both victims’ faces were believed bashed with a rock causing their deaths. A bloodstained rock, a wooden stick and a rubber strap cut from a tire tube were among the pieces of evidence gathered at the crime scene.

Laboratory examination confirmed that the 11-year old girl was raped, said Eleazar.

From this evidence, investigators established Romeo Astelero Ruzon as a person of interest in the case.

Eleazar said that on Friday evening, Ruzon’s brother, along with suspect’s live-n partner accompanied a police tracker team to Sampaloc, Manila where Ruzon allegedly went into hiding.

While undergoing investigation at the San Jose del Monte City Police Station, Ruzon reportedly confessed to the crime and executed an extra-judicial confession assisted by a lawyer.

In his statement, Ruzon named one Joel Sumulat, a 51-year old construction foreman, as his accomplice.

But during confrontation with Sumulat, Ruzon retracted his statement and instead implicated his stepson named Alfredo C. Panuncio, 16, to the crime.

During investigation, Alfredo admitted his involvement and likewise executed an extra-judicial confession.

Based on this development, local police authorities will file criminal charges against the suspects, said Bulacan Police Provincial Office director, Colonel Lawrence B. Cajipe.