Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. welcomed the arrest of the second of five suspects in the ambush of a photojournalist in Quezon City two weeks ago.
(L-R) Eduardo Almario Legazpi II and Jomari dela Cruz Campillo alias "Mata" cover their faces as they are presented to the media at Camp Karingal in Quezon City on July 14, 2023. The two men are suspects behind the June 29 ambush on Remate photojournalist Rene Joshua Abiad. (Photo by Noel Pabalate / MANILA BULLETIN)
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) announced on Friday, July 14, the arrest of Jomari dela Cruz Campillo alias “Mata”, 24, who allegedly served as a “spotter” when unidentified gunmen attacked Remate photojournalist Rene Joshua Abiad.
“This is a welcome development and may [this] serve [as] a warning to all those na nagbabalak pa na magkaisa na tayo (planning to commit crimes to stop it and let’s all just unite),” Acorda said.
Campillo was nabbed by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU) at the Pangasinan Solid North Transit bus terminal in Cubao, Quezon City on Thursday, July 13, as he was about to go to a province outside Metro Manila to escape, said QCPD director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III.
“Talagang gun-for-hire siya. Nakuhanan din natin siya ng baril during the arrest (He is really a gun-for-hire group member. We also seized a [9 mm pistol] from him during his arrest),” Torre said.
Abiad was ambushed last June 29 while he was driving his sports utility vehicle in Barangay Masambong, Quezon City.
Abiad, five other individuals inside the car, and a bystander were wounded while the photojournalist’s four-year-old nephew died in the ambush.
Confession
In an interview with reporters, Campillo admitted that he was the gunmen’s spotter. He said he was paid P15,000 by them for his services.
He said he was the one driving the pink motorcycle which trailed the gunmen’s vehicle as they followed Abiad’s sports utility vehicle on the day of the ambush.
“I am a tricycle driver. I joined them when they first planned to ambush Abiad,” he said.
Campillo revealed the aliases of the other suspects behind the ambush: a certain “Nanad” who is the alleged mastermind; “Juan” who is the primary connection of the gunmen to the mastermind; and “Greg” who is the right-hand man of Juan.
The first suspect, Eduardo Almario Legazpi II, who was tagged as a "professional shooter" by the police, was arrested in Muntinlupa City last July 7.
Investigators are now searching for the three other suspects involved in the crime, including a barangay captain in Pasay City who reportedly ordered the hit on Abiad.