Man wanted for killing police captain wants to surrender but only to Crame
CEBU CITY – The wanted man who fatally shot a police captain is willing to surrender but only to Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police.
Leonardo Manto Jr. said he will not surrender to the local police, suspecting that he would be killed.
“If I will surrender in Cebu, I’m sure they will make it appear that I fought back that’s why I was killed,” Manto said in the local dialect during an interview with local radio station dyHP on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 29.
Manto admitted killing Police Capt. Joel Deiparine and is willing to pay for it.
“If I have committed a crime, they should not do that to me because I am willing to face it,” Manto added.
Deiparine and another policeman from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group were conducting surveillance in Barangay Sudlon 2 here on Sunday night, Oct. 26, when armed men aboard a pickup truck fired at them.
Manto sought forgiveness from the victim’s family. He said he did not expect that the person he shot was a police officer.
Manto said the incident could have not happened had he knew that the persons tailing them were policemen, saying he has high respect for law enforcers.
He said he already noticed that two men on a motorcycle were following him while he was driving a Toyota Strada pickup truck in Talisay City.
Manto said he thought that the persons tailing him were relatives of a barangay captain who was killed in Toledo City and out to exact revenge.
Manto alleged that the men on motorcycle fired shots when he reached Sitio Balaw, Barangay Sudlon 2.
Manto said during the exchange of gunfire, it appeared that shots were fired coming from not just from them and two police officers. Without identifying, some neighbors may have come to his rescue.
Scene-of-the-Crime Operatives personnel recovered spent shells for M16, .45 caliber pistol, 9mm pistol, and .30 caliber pistol were recovered in the crime scene.
Manto denied allegations that he was involved in gunrunning activities. He also denied being a gun-for-hire.
He, however, admitted killing a man he accused of stealing his multicab years ago.
The family of the victim opted not to file charges against him but because of the incident, he was suspected of being a hitman, he said.