Reporter’s alleged killer arrested

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga, Philippines – Police arrested Friday night a suspect in the murder of journalist Nerlita Ledesma.

Bataan police director Senior Superintendent Rodel Sermonia withheld the name of the suspect pending further investigation.

“We are still gathering more evidence to make the case we will file airtight,” he said.

Sermonia said the suspected gunman is being questioned thoroughly as his features match those of the police sketch based on the description provided by a witness.

The person in the sketch resembles a murder suspect out on bail, he added.

Sermonia said police believe that the suspect is a gun-for-hire.

Investigators are looking for two other suspects, he added.

The 47-year-old Ledesma was shot and killed while waiting for a tricycle to take her to work at the Bataan Provincial Capitol last Thursday morning.

She was a resident of Tagnai Subdivision, Barangay Tuyo, Balanga City.

A gunman on board a motorcycle with another suspect shot her.

She died at the scene from gunshot wounds in her chest and body.

Police officers recovered four spent shells from a caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene.

Investigators have invited a tanod of Barangay Tuyo for questioning following reports that he was carrying a gun on the day Ledesma was killed.

Residents have described a disputed five-hectare farmland in the barangay as a “land of hell” following Ledesma’s slay.

Police officers have invited Frederick Payumo, former president of the 200-member Tagnai Homeowners Association in Barangay Tuyo to shed light on the land dispute.

Ledesma was president of the association at the time of her death.

Three homeowners’ associations in the same subdivision were competing with one another when Ledesma became president of one of the associations.

Ledesma reportedly worked on the acquisition and release of land titles for homeowners in Tagnai subdivision from the National Housing Authority (NHA).

Trinidad Tallorin, wife of Barangay Tuyo chairman Conrado Tallorin, said the clash among the three homeowners’ associations reportedly stemmed from the rise of land value from P60,000 to P180,000 for a 50 square-meter lot.

The disputed land, located about 300 meters away from the national road, is expected to become a commercial site in five years.

Residents are worried about being displaced for their inability to shoulder the cost of their lot, which suddenly rose three times the original value.

Barangay records show accusations and counter-charges among members of the three homeowners’ associations for the past three years regarding the alleged illegal collections, non-settlement of monthly occupancy fees and other physical and verbal abuses.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Tallorin said residents and members of the Tagnai Homeowners Association are puzzled as to the real motive in Ledesma’s murder.

“ Ma’am Nerlie had got herself entangled with a number of issues and had already earned the ire of a number of individuals in the community,” she quoted one of them as saying.

Tallorin said since her husband assumed office as barangay chairman in 2011, the barangay blotter was filled with entries, mostly complaints, filed by Ledesma and counter-complaints filed against her by some residents over land ownership issues.

Sources said through Ledesma’s efforts, a five-hectare land that landowner Leonardo David had mortgaged to one Mrs. Bernal for more than P3 million has been redeemed. – With Raffy Viray