Police arrest two in strafing

CEBU, Philippines - Police arrested two men allegedly involved in the strafing that killed a woman in Lapu-Lapu City last Thursday dawn.

The two men were identified as Cyril Zamora, 28, and Rogie Dilao, 22. Both are residents of Barangay Ermita in Cebu City.

Police seized a .45 caliber pistol with live ammunition and six small plastic packets of shabu from Zamora and four small plastic packets of shabu from Dilao.

Two of the victim’s children identified the suspects at the police station yesterday, Mactan Police chief PC/Insp. Conrado Manatad said in an interview with The FREEMAN.

The motorcycle used by the suspects was also allegedly used at the time of the strafing.

Manatad said that Jerry Aying, the husband of victim Prima Aying, and his 14-year-old son, were not able to control themselves and punched Zamora and Dilao when the two were brought to the police station.

Jerry is temporarily staying at the police station for safety reasons. He is said to be the original target in the shooting.

Investigation revealed that the two suspects were first spotted by the victim’s son, Jomar, lurking a few meters away from their residence in Barangay Mactan around 6:30 pm last Friday. Worried, Jomar called up the police station and reported the presence of armed persons with a motorcycle.

Policemen arrived shortly, but the suspicious persons have already left the area, prompting the responding officers to seek help from their counterparts in the intelligence and mobile patrol units. With coordinated effort, the suspects were cornered in Sitio Angasil in Barangay Mactan while still on board their motorcycle. A third companion reportedly managed to escape.

Manatad said they are looking into the possibility that Zamora and Dilao were commissioned by the suspects, brothers Demetrio and Jay Malingin, to kill Jerry.

Zamora and Dilao denied any involvement in the killing during interrogation. They also denied knowing Malingin. They said they were in the area at that time to look for a woman from whom they would collect proceeds from the illegal drugs trade. They, however, refused to disclose her identity.

They also said that they had a firearm with them for protection and alleged that the packets of shabu seized from them were planted evidence.

“Apan kon ang ilang tuyo mao ang pagpaningil, unya adto man didto dapit ilang Jerry Aying? Og kon pagpaningil lang sad maoy ilang tuyo, nganong magdala-dala man ug armas?” Manatad contended.

Police learned that the woman the suspects were referring to is a certain “Taray”, Demetrio’s live-in partner.

Yesterday, Homicide chief PS/Insp. Zenaido Pastorfide Jr. admitted they are having difficulty linking Deo Malingin, the youngest brother of the Malingin brothers, to the crime following Jerry’s statement that he was not certain of Deo’s involvement.

The Malingin brothers remain at large.

Police said earlier that the Malingins and the Ayings have a long standing grudge and that the Malingin brothers were identified as the ones who killed Jerry’s brother, Roy, in November 2011.

Demetrio allegedly threatened to kill Jerry for standing as the complainant in the murder case filed in relation to Roy’s death.

Jerry’s wife died on the spot Thursday after a bullet hit her forehead when three armed men opened-fire at their house while they were sleeping around 3 a.m.

Responding policemen recovered 15 empty shells of a .45 caliber pistol and six slugs of the same caliber from the crime scene. — /JMO (FREEMAN)