Cops arrest suspect in Las Piñas contact center manager’s killing

By Jaymee T. Gamil
Philippine Daily Inquirer

A man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in the killing of contact center manager Edralin Adriano inside his house in Las Piñas City.

Ricardo Robles, 33, a resident of Narra Street in Admiral Park, Barangay (villge) Talon 3, underwent inquest proceedings on Wednesday for robbery with homicide, car theft and illegal possession of firearms, said Senior Insp. Joel Gomez, chief of the city police investigation unit.

Adriano, 35, was a managing director at TechSupport Global Inc. and chief executive officer of startup outsourced contact center Support Online Services.

He was found dead in his bed by his parents in their house at San Antonio Valley XVII, at 10 a.m. last Saturday. The police said he died after someone hit him on the head with a blunt instrument.

His valuables which included a laptop computer, cell phones, a tablet, identification cards and ATM cards were missing, Gomez said.

The thief also took Adriano’s Isuzu Alterra which was parked in the garage. However, it was found abandoned in the neighboring subdivision of Admiral Village on Monday.

Robles was arrested the following day after a barangay watchman positively identified him as the man he saw standing outside the victim’s house at 6 a.m. on Saturday.

Facebook status

Adriano was last seen after he came home after a night out with his sister and several friends on Friday. He even posted a “Good night!” status update on his Facebook account at 1 a.m. on Saturday, Gomez said.

The police official said that it was possible that the victim’s killer broke into the house with the objective of stealing things although there were no signs of forcible entry on the gate and main door.

Victim struggled

Gomez also noted that Adriano was found lying face up on his bed. “He seemed caught off guard or like he struggled [against his attacker].”

He said investigators were still trying to determine if Adriano and Robles knew each other. Gomez also declined to say what Robles told the police.

Authorities said they were tracking down another unidentified male suspect in the case.

Adriano’s body has been at the Holy Trinity Chapels on Sucat Road since Sunday. He will be buried at 10 a.m. Thursday at Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City.