“KLARO kaha na? I hope they’re not taking the wrong guys.”

An employee of a government investigating body, who requested anonymity, asked this question after the three suspects arrested for the murder of Dr. Raul Winston Andutan told details of their crime full of inconsistencies.

While admitting they were hired killers, they also claimed that they’re just “first-timers” in contract killing, not yet familiar with using the weapons, just new in Cagayan de Oro surroundings, and no mobile phones for contact confiscated from them.

“Napugos lang kay kapos sa pera,” was their unified reason for allegedly committing the dreadful act.

The three, identified as Joel Arcilla Nacua, 37, of Lilingayon, Valencia City; Jomar Adlaw, 30, of Maramag, and Marjun Abayon Cabog, 39, of Don Carlos all in Bukidnon were apprehended while having a drinking spree in a beach resort in Balingoan, Misamis Oriental.

While their so-called middleman named Remy Tortosa, a former soldier and an eatery owner in Balingoan is still at large.

Police Lt. Teddy Valiente Macarayo, chief of Balingoan police station, said the suspects are set to be turned over to the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo).

They reportedly yielded one hand grenade and two .45 caliber pistols loaded with ammunition but with no cellphones in their possession.

Interviewed by Magnum Radio, Cabog ― who professed as the alleged driver of the motorcycle used in hunting their prey ― pointed at Nacua as the triggerman in the broad-daylight killing on Thursday at around 11 am in Barangay Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro City.

They were allegedly paid P150,000 for the hit.

“Bag-o ra ‘mi nag-apil apil ini kay kapos lage sa pera. Dili pud mi familiar sa Cagayan de Oro,” shared the triggerman Nacua who recalled he last fired a gun at the time when he was still single.

The suspects said they rented boarding houses in Camaman-an, Cagayan de Oro, and Balingoan for mapping out the planned hit for three weeks to one month period.

“Mangayo lang ‘mi pasaylo sa pamilya. Ayha pa ko kabalo doktor man diay,” one of them said.

The government authority, who also heard the interview, said he could only hope that what the Balingoan police had presented to the media are not the typical fall guys.

“Sa akong pagpaminaw daghan inconsistencies pero basin ang tinuod nga mga kriminal gyod ang nasikop,” he told Gold Star Daily.