Police on Monday (February 6) cleared one of the suspects in the gruesome murder-robbery of Filipino-Chinese businessman Kelvin Chioa.

SPO2 Virgo Villareal of Manila Police District (MPD) Homicide Section said Richard ‘Ricky’ Oja, 22, has been cleared and released after witnesses failed to identify him as one of the three suspects.

According to Villareal, witnesses examined Oja for approximately 30 minutes to see if he was one of those who forcibly entered the Bull’s Eye Laundry Shop along Yakal St. in Manila last January 31.

Oja, who was in Naga City when he surrendered to authorities, said he wanted to clear his name after hearing in the news that he was one of the suspects. Oja told the police that he’s in Naga City since December to vacation.

Upon orders of Police Supt. Jemar Modequillo, station 2 commander of the Manila Police District, SPO2 Adolfo Agustin and PO2 Christopher Cruz fetched Oja from Naga City.

There are two suspects being held at the MPD headquarters. George Padios, 28, and Noel Nuylan, 41, were identified by witnesses as among the robbers. Both were employees of the victim. Padios as one of the family’s drivers and Nuylan was the shop’s aircon technician.

Robbers barged their way in at Chioa’s Bull Eye Laundry Shop before dawn last January 31. The robbers stabbed Chioa twelve times in his face and body. They also attacked his wife Charlene Chioa and nanny Maricel Livrando. They also abducted Chioa’s four-year-old son but later left the child in a nearby area.

Chioa also ran three more laundry shop branches in the Binondo, Alvarez and Bambang areas.