Tuesday, June 05, 2007 Alleged gunman of Sta. Fe bet for mayor nabbed
FORMER policeman Arnulfo Pigon Jr., who has been tagged in the fatal shooting of Sta. Fe, Cebu mayoral aspirant Rogelio Ilustrisimo Sr., was arrested yesterday afternoon for a case of malversation of government property.
Supt. Pablo Labra II, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) deputy director for operations, and Senior Insp. George Ylanan, Vice Control Section chief, went to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters in Manila to pick up Pigon, 29.
Pigon was under the custody of NBI Manila after the alleged gunman surrendered last May 23 to deny any participation in Ilustrisimo’s killing.
Warrant
Illustrisimo was gunned down in front of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Provincial Office inside the Capitol Compound, Cebu City last May 2.
Labra and Ylanan were sent by Acting CCPO Director Patrocinio Comendador to serve the warrant of arrest issued against Pigon for his alleged failure to surrender his service firearm, a .45 pistol, after his dismissal from service.
Judge Marilyn L. Yap of the Regional Trial Court Branch 55 in Mandaue City issued the warrant in February yet.
Bail was set at P40,000.
Escort
Comendador, in a mobile phone interview with Sun.Star Cebu, said Labra’s team would try to catch the 7:35 flight last night to bring Pigon to Cebu City.
NBI Manila will also send an agent to escort Pigon to Cebu City.
Pigon may be presented today before Police Regional Office 7 Director Silverio Alarcio Jr., Comendador said.
However, if Pigon posts bail, they have no reason to hold him because the arrest warrant on the murder case has yet to be issued, he said. (JST)
