Monday, November 26, 2007 Police to arrest 12 suspects in unexplained killings
THE police have issued warrants of arrest against 12 suspects in the slayings of political activists and journalists as part of their stepped-up efforts to speed up the resolution of 141 validated incidents of unexplained killings in the country.
Director Jefferson Soriano, head of the PNP Task Force Usig assigned to investigate cases of unexplained killings, said these suspects were linked to the murders of six militant leaders and three media personalities.
Soriano said these suspects include New People's Army (CPP-NPA) commander Edgardo Sevilla, who is wanted for the killing of National Democratic Front (NDF) leader and former NPA-Bicol commander Sotero Llamas.
He said the other suspects who are now the subject of an extensive manhunt by the police are Edgar Calag, for the murder of NDF lawyer Gil Gojol; NPA member Ronnie Lomerio, for the killings of Councilor Maximo Frivaldo of Sorsogon and Ding Uy; and former NPA member-turned-military-asset Larry Aparato for the murder of Bayan Muna leader Edilberto Napoles.
Roderick and Romeo Castillo, who were formerly with the Philippine Army, are also being hunted down for the killing of labor union leader Ricardo Ramos in Tarlac in 2005, Soriano said.
In the cases of slain media practitioners, the police official said two of the six suspects in the killing of Aurora-based journalist Philip Agustin -- identified as Nilo Morete and Emmanuel Alday -- have pending warrants of arrest against them.
Warrants of arrest have also been issued against Michael Garcia and a still unidentified man involved in the killing of Batangas-based journalist Arnel Manalo, said Soriano, as well as against Buboy and Jalal Saidali, who are the primary suspects in the case of slain Laguna-based reporter Robert Ramos.
Local Government Assistant Secretary for Public Order Danilo Valero said contrary to claims by militant groups, the Arroyo government has made significant progress in addressing the incidence of unexplained killings with 25 suspects in these cases already in jail.
As of mid-October this year, Valero noted that 25 suspects were already arrested -- 13 in the cases of murdered political activists and 12 in the cases of slain journalists.
For instance, Estanislao Bismanos, Jerry Cabayag and Randy Grecia -- the convicted suspects in the case of the killing of journalist Marlene Esperat -- are now serving their sentences at the Tacurong City Jail in Sultan Kudarat.
Policeman Guillermo Wapile, the convicted suspect in the killing of journalist Edgar Damalerio, is now behind bars at the National Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa.
Other suspects in the killings of journalists are now detained in various jails across the country, such as the Manila City Jail, Ilocos Norte Provincial Jail, Puerto Princesa Provincial Jail, Saranggani Provincial Jail, Dipolog City Reformatory Center, Quezon Provincial Jail, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facilities in Pagbilao, Quezon and Bacoor, Cavite.
In the killings of militants, the report noted that suspects in various cases are detained at the jails in La Castellana, Negros Occidental; Kananga, Leyte; Tayug, Pangasinan; Quezon City; and Ma-a, Davao City, among others. (VR/Sunnex)
