CEBU CITY – Five hitmen, including the suspected leader of a gun-for-hire-group and three alleged members, were arrested in separate police operations here.
POLICE Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan (left), chief of the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas, and Police Col. Enrico Figueroa (second from left), head of the Cebu City Police Office, talk to three suspected members of a gun-for-hire group. (Contributed photo)
The suspects was identified as Wilfredo Pologon Nadera, the 23-year-old leader of the Nadera gun-for-hire group, and Jerson Tapere, 25, of Barangay Kinasang-an, Cebu City, Rostom Sanchez Sialana, and Kian Labitad.
Police also arrested another hitman from a rival gun-for-hire-group – Mark Argiey Ebo of Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City, who is allegedly a member of Gibo gun-for-hire group.
Police Col. Enrico Figueroa, chief of the Cebu City Police Office, said the leaders of the two groups have their respective bosses who are currently in prison.
Figueroa said these bosses instruct hitmen if they have targets. He said these are individuals who fail to remit illegal drug proceeds.
Police Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan, chief of the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas, said the suspects provided information during the course of investigation following their arrest.
Maranan noted that most of the victims in recent shooting incidents were drug personalities.
“They are eliminating drug pushers for reasons that they may have been suspected as police informants or maybe they pocketed some of the proceeds of their illegal activities," said Maranan.
The suspects admitted that they were paid P30,000 to P60,000 for every target eliminated.
Nadera admitted to have killed seven persons as a hitman.
“Tungod sa kalisud sa panahon maong nasulod ko anang trabahoa (Due to hardship, I was forced to engage in this kind of job)," said Nadera.
Maranan said the arrest of the suspects will help reduce gun-related violence in Cebu.
Operations are ongoing to track down the remaining members of the two gun-for-hire groups, said Maranan.