Saturday, October 18, 2008 Student's gunman names mastermind By Rimaliza Opiña
A BOTHERED conscience and a deal gone sour finally prompted Ernesto Genetiano to surrender to authorities Friday and admit he was hired to kill 22-year-old Jude Wal II, then a graduating student of Saint Louis University (SLU).
Accompanied by his lawyer, Genetiano also identified Architect Joseph Marrero as the one who hired him to kill either Jude Wal Sr. or his son.
Marrero ran under the wing of former mayor Braulio Yaranon for a seat in the City Council in the last elections.
In exchange, Marrero allegedly promised to pay him P100,000 plus he will buy the five-hectare lot where his house stands.
A P5,000 down payment, a Honda Wave motorcycle, and a .45 Colt caliber were also allegedly given to him. The motorcycle served as the getaway vehicle.
Genetiano said he first met Marrero on January 7 or 8, in his residence at Inabaan Sur, Rosario, La Union. The latter was with two companions.
The motive behind the plan to kill either Wal was not mentioned, but Genetiano said after he agreed to Marrero's offer, they exchanged text messages and met several times after their first meeting until he was told to come up to Baguio and conduct a surveillance of the Wals.
The surveillance was done in one of the entrances of SLU. Genetiano further narrated that at the time, he already attempted to shoot Jude if the time and circumstances permitted.
They failed to see Jude, however. After the failed first attempt, Genetiano said in the early morning of January 25, it was allegedly Marrero who informed them the color and plate number of the vehicle where Jude will be riding on.
Jude was shot between 6:45 to 7 a.m. of that day. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds on his head, chest and biceps.
He was then driving his younger brother to the SLU Laboratory High School in Navy Base Road, Pacdal when they were caught up in traffic before reaching the intersection between Trancoville and Broookside, particularly in front of the Tabora Ice Plant.
This was when the killer reportedly chanced upon him.
After this, Genetiano said he sold the gun and the motorcycle, deleted the messages in his cellular phone then threw it away. He also disposed the clothes he wore when the crime was committed and the pictures of the Wal's.
For several months he hid in La Union and in Nueva Ecija, but the alleged failure to pay him and his conscience made him surrender.
Rolando Tomon, his guide here in Baguio and Bishop Joseph Tongtongdan convinced him to surrender.
"My conscience keeps bothering me, more so when I viewed on television that the one I killed was reported as a graduating college student with unblemished character," Genetiano said.
Genetiano, 52, is an ex-army man, farmer and mason, is now under investigation for murder.
Meanwhile efforts were made to get a comment from Marrero through some of his colleagues and party mates but he could not be reached for comment, as of press time.
