POLICE arrested Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, another suspect in the killing of 57-year-old Leo Leaño, whose body was found in a mountainous area of Cebu City three days earlier.
Arrested was John Elvis Catantan Gutobat, 31, an e-bike driver and resident of Dimasalang Street, Barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City.
Gutobat was arrested by personnel of the Malubog Police Station 12 of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), headed by Police Captain Jurry Papasin, along N. Bacalso Avenue in Barangay Basak Pardo at about 7:30 p.m.
Police said Gutobat admitted shooting Leaño twice upon the instruction of a man identified only by the alias Shaun. Leaño, a resident of Nangka, Consolacion, was found dead in Sitio Morga, Barangay Sudlon 1, Cebu City, on Thursday, Sept. 3.
Gutobat is the third suspect arrested in connection with the killing. Police earlier arrested two other suspects identified only by the aliases Ritchie and Ace.
According to police, Gutobat and his companions hired a vehicle after killing Leaño and paid the driver P10,000 to take them back to Pahina Central.
Gutobat said he fled Cebu after learning Saturday that his two companions had been arrested.
He later returned to Cebu City after one of his companions spoke to the media and admitted involvement in the killing. Gutobat said he intended to surrender.
Gutobat also told police that he no longer knew who had ordered the killing but said someone had been repeatedly calling Shaun, whom he learned was detained at the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan.
Police said the suspects monitored Leaño for two days before the shooting. On the second day of surveillance, they were allegedly given shabu to help them prepare for the operation.
After his arrest, Gutobat said he was ready to face the charges and expressed remorse, asking Leaño’s family for forgiveness.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, deputy city director for operations, said the arrest of the three suspects resulted from continuous follow-up operations by CCPO personnel. / AYB
