On February 21, 2000, the couple Angela and her husband joyfully welcomed the birth of their baby boy, whom they named Ten Joshua, better known by the nickname Tats. Their family lived a quiet life in Zone 1, Barangay Fort Bonifacio, located in the city of Taguig. Although they couldn’t be considered wealthy by society’s standards, Joshua’s parents made sure all their children’s needs were met.

Like many others, Joshua’s father believed that staying in the Philippines wouldn’t provide them with a better life. So despite the difficulty, he decided to work abroad. During his years overseas, he was able to give his family a more comfortable life. While he missed being physically present for special occasions, he always made sure to bring home gifts for his children when he visited and often took the whole family on trips to different places.

Years passed, and Joshua grew up. Even though their mother raised them alone most of the time, the children were brought up well. The siblings were close, and the cheerful Joshua was described as a very sweet older brother to his younger brother, Nico.

🎵 In a video clip, you can see how Joshua surprised Nico with a cake. That moment alone shows how well their parents raised them — because they freely expressed their love for each other.

Aside from school, Joshua also developed a passion for basketball, often playing with classmates and friends. Thanks to their father’s stable job, Joshua and his sister had no problem entering college.

If you visit Joshua’s social media account, you’d say he’s just like any other young man. If he’s not on the basketball court, you’d likely find him in front of his phone or PS5. When he wants a break from screens, Joshua is often seen out on the streets with other young men who share his love for motorcycles.

His parents were extremely proud when he got accepted into the University of Perpetual Help. His father, an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker), was especially proud when Joshua graduated in 2018, earning a diploma in Accountancy and Business Management. All those years of hard work abroad felt worth it, knowing that their children had completed their education and were on their way to achieving their dreams.

A few years after graduation, Joshua surprised everyone who knew him. Instead of applying for a job, he bravely started his own business, which he called Make Sense. The brand reportedly focuses on releasing streetwear clothing. His parents supported his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Although the business started small, thanks to his persistence, it gradually gained popularity — eventually earning over a thousand followers on social media.

Joshua’s family, relatives, and especially his sister Nicole, were all supportive of his dream — because they believed that one day, his clothing store would grow and he would officially be called a CEO. Alongside the success of his career, his friends were also happy when he confirmed his relationship with 25-year-old Angie, more commonly known as Marie Angelica Bina.

🎵 Despite the nearly three-year age gap, it wasn’t an issue for Joshua, as he felt confident he could match his girlfriend’s level of maturity. Angelica was reportedly born and raised in Barangay Patsoka, located in Calapan City, part of the province of Oriental Mindoro.

Much like Joshua’s family, some of Angelica’s relatives also lived abroad, which may have been one of the reasons they connected so deeply — they both understood the pain of being separated from loved ones. According to reports, her mother and sibling are based in Japan. They worked hard not only to give Angelica a better life, but also wanted their remaining family members in the Philippines to become independent and prepared for the future.

Because of Angelica’s beautiful appearance, she was recognized from a young age as someone with great potential — if guided properly, she could go far. Her beauty was immediately noticed by her elementary school teachers, and she was frequently chosen to represent her school in various competitions and events.

According to her best friend Shanny, Angelica is not only beautiful on the outside, but she is also a genuinely kind person and a true friend.

Initially, Angelica had no plans to work abroad, but due to limited opportunities in the country, she eventually decided to go to Japan, where she worked for several years.

Even though Angelica and Shanny were far from each other, they often talked — and those conversations helped Angelica cope with the homesickness she felt. If you look at her photos and videos in Japan, you’d say that even though she was far from her familiar life in Mindoro, she didn’t have much trouble adjusting — mainly because she had her sibling by her side.

When her first work contract ended, Angelica returned to the Philippines, and it was then that she and Joshua began their relationship. Angelica’s family was overjoyed when she returned home to Mindoro. And when her vacation was over, she stayed in Taguig before her scheduled flight back to Japan.

Joshua’s family was never a problem, and they didn’t interfere in the relationship because both were already of legal age. In 2022, you can see in this photo how happy the family was to welcome their father back home from working abroad. But just four months after Nicole posted that photo, the smiles on their faces turned to grief — because the energetic, cheerful, kind, and friendly Joshua would soon be laid to rest at the young age of 22.

🎵 People were shocked — he wasn’t ill, and it seemed impossible for him to have had a motorcycle accident, as Joshua was always careful when driving. He never rode his motorbike after drinking alcohol.

News of what happened to Joshua spread quickly, and just hours after his death, it was also revealed that his girlfriend, Angelica, had been murdered, and their friend and Grab driver, Mark Ian Deskitado, had also been killed in the incident.

Their families all called for justice. In this news footage reported on August 21, 2022, the authorities were seen outside Tranent House in Taguig.

There, all they found were traces of the brutal incident — dried blood at the gate.

According to one resident’s testimony, at around 3:20 AM, while people were sound asleep, they were awakened by a series of gunshots. He estimated four shots echoed through the night.

As a barangay watchman, he quickly rushed out to see what had happened. But all he saw were people screaming outside Tranent House. In the initial investigation, the suspect had shot all three victims and quickly fled the scene in a van. The victims were rushed to the nearest hospital, but all were declared dead on arrival.

According to investigators, the possible motive was a love triangle. Less than a day after the news broke, authorities revealed that the suspect in the triple murder was none other than 28-year-old Julian Paningbatan Jr., also known as Jim Boy, a resident of Bayambang, Pangasinan.

What shocked people even more was that the suspect was a former Seaman Second Class in the Philippine Navy. According to reports, Jim Boy had been inspired by his father, Julian Sr., a retired Navy officer, which led him to join the military in 2016. However, less than three years into his service, he abandoned his post, making him AWOL (Absent Without Leave) in the records.

With the speed at which information spreads on the internet today, people took to social media to circulate Jim Boy’s face. Reports say that his parents in Bayambang, especially his father, were worried for their safety, saying that many strangers had been lurking around their home. Fearing for their family’s security, they approached their barangay captain and said that although they loved their son, they were not hiding him.

So when authorities arrived with a search warrant, the family allowed them to search every corner of their house. When they couldn’t find Jim Boy, they asked the family to inform them immediately if he tried to make contact.

While the suspect was being hunted, almost a week after the crime, Joshua’s father returned home from overseas. The family tearfully laid Joshua to rest. The wake of another victim, Mark Ian, was attended by his fraternity brothers, who also called for justice.

After all the victims were buried, the case seemed to stall. But their families never stopped demanding justice, and soon the case went viral.

On September 1, 2022, the families received good news: according to authorities, Jim Boy was ready to surrender. Upon his arrest, it was discovered that he was already on the top 3 most wanted list even before the triple murder.

According to records from the Pasay and Manila Regional Trial Courts, Jim Boy had four outstanding arrest warrants. Two were for violations of the New Anti-Kidnapping Act of 2016, issued in 2021 and 2022. The other two were for theft.

Authorities also confirmed that Jim Boy was seen with Angelica just minutes before the murders.

After being read his Miranda rights, he was officially charged with three counts of murder. But instead of showing remorse, he openly declared that he had no regrets about killing the three — especially Angelica.

In his words, he believed she deserved to die. He described her as a manipulative, materialistic, and high-maintenance OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) who “crushed his manhood.”

“It’s fine with me if I’m not handsome. What matters is, you’re even uglier than me.” [Applause]

It was revealed that he was Angelica’s former live-in partner, before she got into a relationship with Joshua. In his interview, all he did was try to destroy Angelica’s character.

According to Jim Boy, when he first met the woman from Mindoro, he was drawn to her physical beauty. Eventually, he fell in love with her because of her kindness.

At first, their relationship seemed okay, but over time, he claimed that no matter what he gave — even if he “offered her the moon” — she was never satisfied. He alleged that she crushed his pride as a man and never respected him.

Jim Boy shared that during the time they were in a relationship, he was still stationed in Cavite City. In order to see Angelica, he would frequently travel to Mindoro. Every time he visited her home, he felt overjoyed because Angelica’s family wholeheartedly accepted him. He also had no issue with the fact that Angelica was a single mother, and he treated her child from a previous relationship as his own.

But even though things seemed to be going well between them, Jim Boy said that eventually, Angelica wanted to settle down. In other words, she wanted them to live together under one roof. However, relocating to the province was impossible for him at the time — first, because he had no savings, and second, because his salary in the Navy wasn’t enough to support a household.

Due to his meager income, he even admitted to wearing his uniform just to board ferries for free. That issue constantly caused arguments between them, to the point where Angelica gave him an ultimatum: choose between their relationship or his job. Fearing he would lose her, he chose her — and left the Navy.

Even though there was no certainty about their future in the province or what kind of work he could find there, Jim Boy was accepted into the Belina family’s home, and Angelica’s mother treated him like her own son. But according to Jim Boy, that only lasted in the beginning — over time, as he continued living with them, he began to feel belittled.

He claimed that Angelica’s family often insulted him directly, calling him lazy, a freeloader, and a burden. He tried to apply as a bodyguard for the mayor, but wasn’t hired. Eventually, in an effort to stop the insults, he set up a small food stall selling pares (beef stew with rice). But the little income he earned — and sometimes none at all — became the root of constant arguments.

He also learned that Angelica’s siblings had started convincing her to leave him, saying she had no future in the relationship. Tensions in the Belina household escalated further when they discovered that Angelica was pregnant. In an attempt to provide for the pregnancy, Jim Boy decided to go work in Manila.

But he was furious when he found out that the baby Angelica was allegedly carrying was aborted, allegedly under the pressure of her mother and sister in Japan. Still, instead of breaking up, the couple stayed together, and Angelica became pregnant again, eventually giving birth to a baby boy.

If you ask Jim Boy, he would insist that he always gave money to his live-in partner. But according to Angelica’s family, he never gave a single cent. In fact, they claimed that from her very first prenatal visit to the OB-GYN until the delivery, they paid for everything.

Beyond financial issues, what enraged Jim Boy even more, he claimed, was Angelica’s flirtatious and unfaithful behavior.

Jim Boy claimed that while they were in a relationship, Angelica was still communicating with her ex-boyfriend, the father of her first child. But for the Belina family, no matter how the world turned, as long as the child’s father wanted to be part of the child’s life and support them financially, Jim Boy had no choice but to accept that Angelica’s ex would always be around — because this was called co-parenting, something Jim Boy seemingly failed to understand.

When Angelica gave birth to their baby, the issues between them only got worse, because Jim Boy was inconsistent in providing financial support. The love Angelica once felt for him was eventually replaced by resentment, and she gradually fell out of love. According to her family, they finally breathed a sigh of relief when she ended the relationship.

Since Angelica was still in her early 20s, she accepted an opportunity to work abroad. She realized that she now had two children to support, not just one. 🎵 However, according to Jim Boy, they didn’t really break up — and in fact, the money Angelica used to go abroad came from him.

According to Jim Boy’s father, one of their vehicles was pawned so Angelica could afford a plane ticket to Japan. She had promised to send money back monthly as soon as she began receiving her salary. In Japan, Angelica’s life improved significantly. 🎵 Not only was she able to repay the money she borrowed from Jim Boy, but she also provided for both of her children’s needs.

Later on, Jim Boy said Angelica cut ties with him completely. And while her family celebrated her new life and success, Jim Boy harbored a deep hatred for the happiness she was experiencing. Every time Angelica posted a photo showing how joyful her life was, his anger grew — convinced that she didn’t deserve to be happy, and that she had destroyed his life.

Jim Boy truly believed he did nothing wrong. He justified his criminal charges — including carnapping and robbery — by saying that he only did it to support Angelica’s expensive lifestyle. He claimed she had a gambling addiction, frequented casinos, was materialistic, and a user.

“Once she drains your money,” he said, “she throws you away like garbage.”

As Angelica prepared to return to Japan, she stayed temporarily in Taguig. Even though they had broken up, the two agreed to meet. In an interview, Jim Boy said he just wanted to know the real reason she left him and made him feel discarded. He referred to their meeting as “closure.”

On August 20, 2022, after eating together at a pares restaurant, they went to a motel. He insisted that nothing physical happened, and that they only talked. In video footage, Jim Boy can even be seen walking Angelica back to Tranent House, where she was staying.

However, he had forgotten to give her ₱3,000 in child support, so he returned. But when he arrived, he saw Angelica talking to her new boyfriend, Joshua — along with their friend and Grab driver, Mark, who was supposed to drive Angelica to the airport.

According to Jim Boy, seeing the three of them laughing together made all the pain and humiliation resurface. He also revealed that, to his knowledge, Angelica had another boyfriend back in Mindoro, aside from Joshua.

Blinded by rage, Jim Boy pulled out his gun and shot Joshua and Mark. In the footage, Angelica can be seen running away. She tried to shut the gate, but was no match for Jim Boy’s strength. He forced his way in, approached Angelica up close, and shot her at point-blank range. The wounds were so severe that she died instantly. 🎵

Since the arrest warrant for three counts of murder had not yet been approved at the time, authorities used his four pending arrest warrants to detain him. If found guilty, Jim Boy is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison, as the punishment for his crimes is life imprisonment.

With the help of a senator, the three victims’ families did not have to pay for the burial costs. In addition, each family received ₱500,000 in financial assistance to help the surviving relatives.