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Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Cops nab suspect in news fotog's murder
By Mia E. Abellana
CEBU CITY -- A day after photojournalist Allan Dizon was laid to rest, his alleged killer was caught during a pot session with two companions.
The arrest of Edgar Belandres, 39, in his house in Barangay Lorega, Cebu City at 3:45 p.m. Monday came two days after the deadline for Task Force Newsmen 7 to solve the case.
Belandres, also known as Dodong Insong, was identified by three witnesses at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7 office Monday night as the man who pumped three bullets into Dizon's body last Nov. 27.
After a consultation with City Prosecutor Cezar Tajanlangit, members of Task Force Newsmen 7 decided to arrest Belandres without a warrant, on the basis that the arrest still fell under a hot pursuit.
CIDG 7 Chief Salvador Manga Jr. told reporters that they have not stopped pursuing the case since Dizon was killed outside a car wash on A. Soriano St. in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.
Belandres' companions--Mariano "Mayok" Villarin, 42, and Gaudencio "Yengyeng" Perales, 41--were not yet linked to the Dizon killing.
"I think Allan was killed because of the help he gave to the police," Manga said.
No word on earlier talk that Dizon was at the site waiting for someone from whom he was to collect money.
CIDG 7 is also not clear whether it has evidence other than the witnesses' identification.
The police found slugs of a .45 pistol at the crime scene, but no gun was recovered.
Witnesses, Manga said, were 10 to 15 meters away when they saw Belandres walking to a corner without a helmet.
When he saw Dizon arriving at the car wash, Belandres allegedly put on the helmet and went to the motorcycle where his companion waited.
As for PO2 Brazilio Borinaga, Manga said there is no evidence yet to link him to the crime.
Borinaga, formerly of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau, had revealed that an anonymous text message reached him implicating Dizon in a drug deal.
Manga said he did not want to speculate on the text message, but assured they have not stopped their investigation.
Manga said the task force began their investigation at the crime scene.
Everything became clear last Friday yet, he said.
Information was mostly gathered through the text messages from Dizon's cell phone.
According to Manga, Dizon's wife told them that her husband registered Belandres as DD on his cell phone, short for his nickname Dodong.
Amelina confirmed that her husband mentioned Dodong several times but she does not know him personally.
The task force was able to trace DD's cell phone and gathered information there.
Manga said it seemed DD was tricking Dizon into heading to the car wash near SM City mall.
However, the task force head was unable to give an answer when asked why Dizon seemed to be waiting for someone and was reportedly expecting money.
Belandres refused to be photographed and shied away from reporters. He was also linked to a drug lord.
But his parents Milagros and Lorenzo denied their son was involved in the drug trade or in Dizon's killing, saying Dizon and Belandres were "good friends."
Milagros said her son has no reason to be involved in illegal drugs because her children are earning a good living as professionals.
While Belandres took care of orders for pork in the Carbon market, his siblings were all paid well in their professions.
She added that for two Saturdays, her son just stayed home.
Aside from Dizon's killing, Manga said they are eyeing Belandres as the one responsible for the death of suspected drug lord Wendell Ilega and his live-in partner Gloria delos Reyes at the Casa Amigo Pension House on Echavez St. last Sept. 28.
He is also reportedly behind the killing of former policeman Felix Cuerda last week.
Police confirmed that Cuerda was an alleged drug pusher.
Manga said Belandres was the right-hand man of a big-time drug dealer, whose name often crops up in police order of battle lists.
He believes Dizon, Ilega and Cuerda were killed because they somehow affected the drug operations of Belandres' boss.
Manga said they are hunting this man down and that this time, they have a warrant for his arrest.
On Monday, two teams led by Chief Inspectors Rex Derilo and Crisaleo Tolentino surrounded Belandres' house.
The three men who were in a pot session allegedly tried to run, but could not because heavily armed operatives surrounded the area.
Police recovered a sachet of shabu and drug paraphernalia, but no gun that could have been used to kill Dizon.
Belandres, Villarin and Perales were made to go through a drug test. Urine samples were taken at the Regional Crime Laboratory office Monday afternoon.
Later, the three were made to stand in front of a one-way mirror where witnesses pointed to Belandres as the one who shot Dizon.
When asked if he considers the case solved, Manga said they can only stop once they get a conviction.
(December 7, 2004 issue)
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