Three of the seven suspects in the killing of a barangay kagawad in Barangay Canumay East, Valenzuela City last June 29 were arrested in three police operations, the Valenzuela City Police Station (VCPS) announced on Wednesday, Aug. 31.
The VCPS identified the arrested suspects as Michael Tamayo Jr., 28, of Malabon; Ricky Barte Montemayor, 47, one of the alleged masterminds; and Jimmy Palisoc Ayad, 48, both residents of Valenzuela City.
According to the police, the victim, Alexander Liwanag Joseph, 49, a Barangay Canumay East kagawad, was approached and shot multiple times by two men on D. Bonifacio Street in the said barangay at around 6:40 a.m. on June 29. The victim was supposed to attend a school graduation.
The suspects rode a red and black motorcycle and fled towards Marton Street. Joseph was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead-on-arrival.
With the help of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages, police found out that Tamayo brought the motorcycle at the crime scene, which was used by the gunmen.
Police said that the two suspects commuted from Caloocan to the crime scene.
VCPS operatives arrested Tamayo in Barangay Tanong, Malabon, at around 10 p.m. on July 8 and recovered the suspects’ get-away motorcycle.
According to the police, Tamayo executed a series of extrajuducial confessions where he admitted his participation in the crime and identified the six other suspects -- Montemayor; Ayad; Tito Santiago Salibio, 43, and Carlito Mansueto Abalo, 31, the gunmen and of Malabon City; Reyce Malicdem, 36, of Valenzuela City; and one alias “Abdul.”
Police arrested Montemayor in an anti-illegal drug operation on Aug. 25, while Ayad was was nabbed by intelligence operatives for carrying a .45-caliber firearm and a hand grenade on Service Road, Canumay East on Aug. 28.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Col. Salvador Destura, VCPS chief, said Montemayor, who as the former treasurer of the Canumay-Lawang Bato-Punturin-Paso De Blas Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (CALUPUPATODA), sought the help of his cohorts to kill the victim.
He added Montemayor was charged by the association with malversation of its funds worth P1,335,846.29 (estafa). The victim represented the association being its secretary.
The station commander also said Montemayor confessed that Ayad, the current elected CALAPUPATODA president, was the one who induced him to kill Joseph.
The victim was supposed to be Ayad's opponent for president post of the association when it held an election on July 3, four days after the incident.
The arrested suspects will face murder charges, police said.
The VCPS is conducting manhunt operations against the four other suspects.
The Valenzuela City government earlier offered a P600,000 bounty to anyone who could give information on the whereabouts of the gunmen, Salibio and Abalo.