Just recently, a shocking news broke out about three men who were supposed to deliver goats they were selling—but never made it back home alive to their families. The incident sparked outrage among many residents of Batangas.

On June 5, 2025, the flags in Kalatagan, Batangas were flown at half-mast. It was a symbol of mourning for the three men—natives of Kalatagan—who were mercilessly murdered. The three were merely delivering goats but were later found buried in the soil of Maguindanao.

In today’s story, let us get to know these three men, the heartbreaking tragedy they met, and the possible suspects behind the crime.

The youngest among the victims was John Luis Olarte, only 22 years old. Born on May 23, 2002, in Kalatagan, Batangas, Luis graduated in 2024 with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration from Colegio de Santo Domingo de Silos.

He was the youngest of three siblings. Their family ran a livestock transportation business. They were hired by livestock sellers—those who raise animals used for labor or for producing meat, milk, eggs, and other products—to deliver the animals across the country or for export.

Transporting live animals isn’t a simple task. The animals must be fed and given water during transport to ensure they arrive healthy to their buyers. The price for livestock transportation ranges from ₱15,000 to ₱20,000 per trip depending on the distance.

Four years ago, the Olarte family established JJ Livestock Transporter and Tracking Services. Their main focus was delivering goats—but not just any goats. These were Boer goats and hybrid breeds sourced from abroad. Each goat cost between ₱40,000 and ₱100,000.

Their tracking service had completed deliveries to General Santos City, Dumaguete, Cebu, Iloilo, and many other locations. Despite going as far as Mindanao, the transporters had always returned safely.

Helping in the business was Luis’ cousin, Jerry Olarte, 31, also from Kalatagan. Jerry was married with three daughters. According to friends, he would do anything to provide for his family. He took on all sorts of jobs just to make sure his wife and children had something to eat. Jerry was known as religious and a good friend.

One of Jerry’s close friends who died with him was Ronald Alumno, 37, also from Kalatagan. Born on April 13, 1988, Ronald had long been familiar with raising goats. He knew how to care for goats, especially during long trips. He was hired by the Olarte family to be the driver for the hybrid goat deliveries.

Ronald, who had a wife and two kids, was described as a good provider who lived solely for his family. He worked hard, earning an honest living.

On May 6, 2025, Luis, Jerry, and Ronald set out in an L300 van heading to Mindanao to deliver 10 goats—six of which were for a buyer who introduced himself as Comen Bansuan Tan, to be delivered in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, and four others to a buyer in Davao. The goats were worth around ₱1 million.

They first went to Mindoro, then boarded a RORO ship heading toward the Visayas and Mindanao. According to Luis’ family, he had joined several goat delivery trips before. This was JJ Livestock’s third delivery trip to Mindanao.

Throughout the journey, Luis, Jerry, and Ronald consistently updated their families and Lloyd, Luis’ older brother and head of the tracking service. But on May 11, 2025, around 7 AM, the families were shocked when they could no longer reach the three men.

Reports say they were in Maguindanao del Sur around that time. They told their families that after delivering the goats in Maguindanao del Sur, they would head to Davao for the second transaction.

But Lloyd was stunned when the Davao buyer informed him that Luis, Jerry, and Ronald never arrived. He kept calling them repeatedly, but none of them answered. The families were terrified. No one knew what had happened.

On May 12, 2025, election day, the families formally sought help to locate the three. Missing person posters were immediately posted on social media, including photos of the van they used and their last known clothing. The poster also stated that they were last seen in Barangay Lintangan, Mamasapano, Maguindanao, the location where they were supposed to meet Comen.

The missing poster was shared in various Facebook groups and pages for goat breeders and transporters. People from Calapan and other provinces helped search for them.

The families also reported the case to police. The Kalatagan, Batangas Police coordinated with the Bangsamoro Police to search for the three. Batangas authorities provided all details about the victims, including who they transacted with and where they were headed.

But no trace of the three men was found—until May 14, when the families were given a glimmer of hope: a Facebook post appeared on Luis’ account, saying they were safe, that they had simply had an accident in Akaran area, and were already on their way home. The post apologized for the concern and explained that there was no signal.

However, the families remained worried—they still couldn’t contact any of them. Luis’ family even wondered if it was really him who posted, especially since he didn’t bother sending a private message or text, despite knowing his parents were extremely worried.

So the families continued sharing the missing person posters and appealing for help. Luis’ family spent his birthday on May 23, 2025 in deep sorrow, as he was still missing.

Their search came to a tragic end when the family received terrible news from Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao del Sur—a town next to Mamasapano, where the delivery was scheduled.

On May 30, 2025, the police in Shariff Saydona received a call from local residents in Sitio Goma, complaining about a foul smell from a rubber plantation. Police immediately went to investigate and traced the strong odor to a patch of ground that seemed disturbed.

Residents and police helped dig the site, and soon they uncovered the bodies of three men. Signs showed the bodies had been there for days, and all had gunshot wounds. Their hands were tied behind their backs. The bodies bore clear signs of the suffering they endured.

Since there were no other missing persons reported in the area aside from the three goat transporters, police presumed the bodies were indeed Luis, Jerry, and Ronald.

They quickly contacted the families. Upon arrival, the families confirmed the identities—the clothing on the bodies matched what the men were last seen wearing.

According to reports, the three may have been kidnapped by five men, last seen at Nabundas Elementary School in Barangay Nabundas, where they were supposed to meet Comen. After the kidnapping, the suspects allegedly stole their belongings, goats, and van.

After robbing them, the three were taken to a remote rubber plantation and shot one by one, helpless. They were buried in a shallow grave. It was also reported that before they were killed, they were seen speaking with a local man accompanied by four others.

From then on, none of the three were ever contacted again. Police launched an investigation and promised justice. They also looked for Comen, but discovered the name Comen Bansuan was fake—used to trick the victims.

The police are now pursuing leads on the five suspects. They also believe the crime was premeditated, as signs suggest the three were tortured before they were killed—two were shot, and one was repeatedly beaten.

Authorities are still searching for the L300 van, and have yet to determine a clear motive for the killings.

The bodies were taken to a funeral parlor. On June 2, 2025, the victims’ remains were flown on a Philippine Air Force C130 flight from Awang Airport to Manila. Their families were waiting at the airport. From Manila, they were brought home to Kalatagan, Batangas.

Hundreds of Batangueños welcomed them home. Motorists honked their horns in solidarity and outrage.

Some relatives granted interviews. According to Peter, Luis’ father, his son joined the trip because Jerry and Ronald had no other help. On May 11, a Sunday, Peter last spoke with Luis, who said they were at a checkpoint with complete travel documents. Luis told him they would arrive at the meeting point, near a school, in 15 minutes. After that, Peter never heard from him again.