JOSEFINA, Zamboanga del Sur — Police have arrested the alleged suspect in the gruesome killing of a mother and her three children inside their home in Barangay Litapan, bringing a major breakthrough to one of the most shocking multiple murder cases in Zamboanga del Sur this year.
The suspect, identified by authorities as Frankie Barcelona Camiguing, a resident of Panagaan, Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur, was captured on Thursday, July 2, in the municipality of Mahayag following an intensive hot pursuit operation conducted by the Josefina Municipal Police Station (MPS) in coordination with the Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Office (ZSPPO) and soldiers from the 53rd Infantry Battalion.
Camiguing is now under the custody of the Josefina MPS while investigators finalize the filing of criminal charges against him. Police also disclosed that the suspect previously had a Qualified Theft case before the Regional Trial Court Branch 23 in Molave.
The arrest marks a significant development in the investigation into the brutal massacre that stunned the province on June 29, when authorities discovered the lifeless bodies of Arlene Fernan Dumalte, 42, a Barangay Health Worker (BHW), and her three children inside their residence.
The victims were identified as:
- Arlene Fernan Dumalte, 42, Barangay Health Worker;
- Nashyl Dumalte, 16, a Grade 10 student;
- En-en Dumalte, 14, a Grade 8 student; and
- Arnel Dumalte, 11, a Grade 6 pupil.
According to the Josefina Municipal Police Station, officers received a report from a barangay official at around 7:00 a.m. on June 29 regarding the discovery of the four bodies inside the family’s home in Purok 5, Barangay Litapan.
Initial police findings indicated that the attacker allegedly gained entry by passing through a damaged portion of the house’s wall before attacking the victims with a double-bladed weapon, inflicting fatal wounds that left the entire family dead inside their own residence.
In the early stages of the investigation, PLTCOL Julito Pamalaran, chief of the Josefina Municipal Police Station, confirmed that investigators had already identified a person of interest but deliberately withheld the individual’s identity to avoid compromising the ongoing investigation.
Following several days of relentless tracking operations, police and military forces located and arrested Camiguing in Mahayag on Thursday.
Authorities have yet to release specific details regarding the circumstances surrounding the arrest or disclose a possible motive behind the killings, emphasizing that the investigation remains ongoing.
Senior police officials, including officials from the Police Regional Office’s Regional Investigation Team, the Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Office, local government officials, and the municipal leadership of Josefina, have since convened to oversee the continuing investigation and ensure the proper filing of charges.
The massacre sent shockwaves across Josefina and neighboring communities, particularly after it was learned that the three young victims were students of Litapan Integrated School.
In an earlier statement, the school mourned the deaths of the siblings, describing the tragedy as an immeasurable loss to the entire school community while calling for justice and accountability for those responsible.
The brutal slaying also sparked widespread public outrage and grief throughout Zamboanga del Sur, with residents demanding the immediate arrest of those behind what many described as the massacre of an entire family.
With the principal suspect now in police custody, investigators are expected to continue gathering evidence to strengthen the multiple murder case and determine whether other individuals may have participated in or aided the commission of the crime.
Authorities have assured the public that additional information will be released as the investigation progresses. Meanwhile, police urged anyone with relevant information related to the case to continue cooperating with investigators as they work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the killings.