Top Cop Clears Bueno of Involvement in Silawan Rape-Slay

The Police Regional Office in Region 11 (PRO-11) has cleared Jonas Bueno from involvement in the rape and brutal killing of 16-year-old Christine Lee Silawan in Lapu-Lapu City last week.

Bueno was arrested in a joint operation conducted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Davao, National Bureau of Investigation, and the local police late Friday afternoon by virtue of a warrant of arrest for the murder of another person in Cebu in January.

For that pending case, Bueno remains under detention at the NBI detention facility.

“He has no direct link to the slay of Silawan,” said Police Brig. Gen. Marcelo Morales, PRO-11 director, in a text message on Monday.

Morales said police investigation showed that Bueno has been in Mindanao since last year, adding they have not yet decided when the suspect will be turned over to the Cebu City police.

Based on police records, Police Major Milgrace Driz, of CIDG-Davao City Field Unit, said Bueno was arrested for theft in Carmen, Cebu in 2011 and later convicted and imprisoned until 2016 in the Cebu Provincial Jail.

In 2017, Driz said, Bueno was involved in a shooting incident where he killed victim Boboy Lumen. Bueno was charged along with his brother Junry Bueno and brother-in-law Jury Mal-ang.

On March 4, 2018, Bueno evaded arrest and brought his common-law-wife and two kids from Barangay Santikan, Danao City, Cebu to Nasipit, Butuan City, and stayed with his common-law wife’s relative in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.

Driz said Bueno stayed in Buenavista and went into corn farming until February 22 and moved to Davao City. The family stayed in Sitio Santiago Balusong, Barangay Matina Crossing, Davao City.

On March 11, 2019, Bueno started working as a construction worker in Purok Guadalupe, Matina, Davao City using another name: Jason Marten. (PNA)