BACOLOD CITY - An alleged gun-for-hire suspect tagged as behind the killing of Bayawan City Councilor Alex Tizon in Negros Oriental was arrested in the said city, Saturday, September 26.
Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Negros Oriental, along with personnel of Vallehermoso Municipal Police Station, and First Provincial Mobile Force Company, served an arrest warrant for murder against Jeason Tapuz Barte, 30, of Basay town.
The warrant, with no bail recommended, was issued by Presiding Judge Maria Myla Rae M. Santos-Orden, of Regional Trial Court (RTC) - Branch 63 in Bayawan City, dated August 14, 2020.
Lt. Col. Ariel Huesca, CIDG-Negros Oriental head, said they first conducted surveillance against the suspect in close coordination with the Basay Municipal Police Station, and Bayawan City Police Station.
“We learned that the suspect left his house in Basay town on Friday night, and went to his wife’s house in Bayawan City, where he was arrested the following day,” Huesca said.
Huesca said the warrant was issued in connection with the murder of Tizon, also a retired policeman, who was shot dead by motorcycle-riding assailants at Barangay Villareal, Bayawan City last February 18.
Barte was one of the accused in the murder case, based on the backtracking of closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footages, and a result of the investigation, Huesca said.
Huesca said the motorcycle used in the crime was recovered at Barte’s house where he was arrested, but he continued to deny being involved in the murder of Tizon.
Huesca added that nine persons were involved in the crime, but the cases filed against seven of the suspects were dismissed for lack of evidence.
He said investigation was still ongoing to find other pieces of evidence that would link other persons of interest in the killing.
The investigation of the case is being handled by the Special Investigation Task Group Tizon (SITG Tizon), he added.
Barte is now detained at the CIDG office.