ONE of the suspects in the murder of fifth district Board Member Renato Malabor and his bodyguard has been identified as one of those who allegedly robbed a former mayor and his wife on Tuesday, March 8, and carted away P1.225 million worth of cash and checks.
Jacklyn Villaquer, 27, of Moises Padilla, was injured when he was shot by the police after he resisted arrest in Barangay Odiong Thursday afternoon, March 10.
Senior Superintendent William Señoron, acting director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), said that operatives of Nocppo Intelligence Branch were supposed to serve Villaquer with the arrest order for double murder, but he resisted.
The suspect was shot in the leg to neutralize him. He was then brought to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.
Chief Inspector Joshua Villasis, chief of the Moises Padilla Police Station, said an undetermined amount of P500 bills were found on Villaquer’s pocket when he was brought to the hospital.
It turned out that Villaquer was among the three suspects who robbed former Moises Padilla mayor Francisco Nazareno and his wife Judith in front of their house on M.H. del Pilar Street in Barangay 5 Tuesday night.
Villaquer was among those who were charged for the murder of Malabor and his bodyguard Leody Jomilla. The case was filed with the La Carlota City Regional Trial Court on Tuesday, March 8.
Also charged were PO1 Robert Chloe Rito, Felipe Juntarciego, Eduardo Jugos Jr., three suspects known by aliases “Taming”, “Nonoy,” and “Jason,”, as well as three others who have not yet been identified.
Three of the suspects were arrested in separate police operations last year. Juntarciego of Himamaylan City was arrested on July 25 for illegal drugs and gunrunning, while Jugos of Binalbagan was collared in a drug buy-bust on September 15.
Both were served their arrest warrants on Wednesday.
Out on bail
Villaquer was arrested on July 9, 2015 for illegal possession of firearms. He was later able to post bail for his provisional liberty.
It was also Villaquer who implicated Isabela Mayor Enrique Montilla III and Councilor Raffy Uy as masterminds in the killing of Malabor and Jomilla, as stated in his affidavit that was cited in the resolution of the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor.
Villaquer’s accusation was vehemently denied by Montilla, who insisted that he has nothing to do with the board member’s death.
Villaquer also confessed that he served as one of the lookouts and that he was supposed to throw a grenade in case a police patrol car passed by during the incident.
Malabor, 55, and Jomilla, 52, were shot dead outside a cockpit in Asenso Village, Barangay Guintubhan, Isabela town, on June 28, 2015.
Señoron confirmed that Villaquer was able to post bail because illegal possession of firearms is a bailable offense.
He said Villaquer has not been made a state witness as “it is only the Department of Justice that can qualify if he can be considered as a state witness.”
Señoron said that they have yet to determine why Villaquer reached Moises Padilla when he was supposed to be in Himamaylan City.
Robbery suspect, too
Villaquer has been implicated as one of the three men who held former mayor Nazareno and his wife at gunpoint while the others took the couple's four bags containing P975,000 cash and P250,000 worth of checks.
Chief Inspector Villasis said the suspects were seen in the area of Nazareno's home three days before the incident.
The station chief also said that Villaquer's cohorts in the robbery have also been identified, but their names were being withheld while police pursue them.
Another suspect
Policemen were able to track another suspect in the Nazareno robbery on Thursday night, March 10, in Barangay Guinpana-an.
Villasis said there was an exchange of gunfire around 8:15 p.m. after the suspect resisted arrest and managed to escape.
According to Villasis, the subject of the Thursday pursuit was identified as the person who pointed a gun at Nazareno during the Tuesday robbery.
Police recovered the gunman's custom .357-caliber firearm, which was abandoned. Also recovered from his house was a motorcycle that has been identified as the vehicle used in the robbery.
No money was recovered from the suspect's home, Villasis said.
Police were preparing robbery charges against the suspects.
Manhunt on gunman
Señoron said pursuit operations against the alleged gunman in the murder of Malabor and Jomilla are ongoing.
PO1 Robert Chloe Rito, who was identified by witnesses as the person who shot Malabor and Jomilla, has been on the run ever since charges against him and nine others for the double murder were filed with the Provincial Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday.
Rito was transferred from the Isabela Municipal Police Station to the Nocppo headquarters, but remained on active duty, when the investigation into his involvement started. He was supposed to return to work Thursday after his days-off on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Señoron said he believes that Rito has fled. The police director urged the suspect to surrender.
“He should cooperate with the police so that his side of the story would be heard,” Señoron said.