POLICE probers on Monday, September 28, took under their custody two construction workers identified as ‘persons of interest’ in the killing of two nursing graduates and a student in a house being renovated in Barangay 179, Catmon street in Caloocan City.

Reports have it that two other ‘persons of interest’ remained at large and are reportedly the subject of the police manhunt operations. Police are looking at robbery as the motive of the killing as two of the ATM cards of one of the victims, Arjay Belencio, a student of still unidentified school, were missing.

The two other victims, who’re both nursing graduates, were identified as Glydyl Mamon Belonio, 22 and Mona Ismael Habibulla, 28. All the victims were believed to have been stabbed to death as the murder weapon was found still embedded in Belencio’s back.

The bodies of all the victims were reportedly discovered by their neighbor, a certain Jonny Aliansas, after the victims’ relatives had contacted him to check on them, said Lt. Col. Ilustre Mendoza, city assistant police chief for administration.

Aliansas said the door was locked, thus allowing him and a companion to break into the house. Once inside, they reportedly discovered Belonio and Ismael’s corpses. Belencio’s body was found in another room.

Belencio’s father, identified as Levan, told probers that he allowed his son, Arjay, to stay with Belonio and Habibulla in his house which is undergoing renovation works because the two nursing graduates were reviewing for their board exams.

Caloocan Police chief Dario Menor said probers have also gathered that those ‘persons of interest,’ who’re hired as house renovation workers, have animosity with Arjay over allegations that they were overcharging the repair materials.

The elder Belencio told probers that the missing two ATM cards of his son contain funds for the house renovation.