‘Boy Demonyo’ tipster seeks cash reward

The Manila police informant who tipped off the whereabouts of a fugitive gun-for-hire wanted for a slay try on a tabloid photographer is now asking authorities for the promised reward money.

The informant reportedly got wind of the reward money after she was shown past copies of several broadsheets and tabloids wherein then Northern Police District (NPD) chief and now Region 1 police director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil announced a bounty of P50,000 for any information leading to the arrest of Jorge de Jesus, also known as Jorge Tabora and “Boy Demonyo.”

De Jesus is the prime suspect in the shooting of Tiktik photographer Roger Panizal in Caloocan City last Aug. 14, 2006. Panizal sustained five bullet wounds from a caliber .45 pistol but survived.

Chief Inspector Alejandro Yanquiling Jr., who led a team of Manila policemen in the capture of De Jesus at a bar in Ermita, Manila last Tuesday, has confirmed that a tip from the informant led to the arrest of the wanted fugitive.

“It was my informant who provided us with detailed information on the whereabouts of De Jesus, which led to his arrest. It was a positive tip-off (that) enabled my men to monitor the suspect’s whereabouts that night,” Yanquiling said.

The informant is reportedly in fear for her life after learning that De Jesus has connections with another group of guns-for-hire who may avenge his capture, according to Yanquiling.

The informant told Yanquiling that she intends to use the reward money to lead a new life and settle in another place. However, Yanquiling is also at a loss on how to recover the reward money, since the NPD is now mum about it.

“I hope the leadership of the NPD, or even Gen. Bataoil, will get in touch with the Manila police and instruct us on how our informant can avail of the promised reward,” Yanquiling said.   

De Jesus has four more arrest warrants pending in different courts in Metro Manila.

He is the subject of arrest warrants for murder at Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 121 under Judge Adoracion Angeles, frustrated murder at Valenzuela City RTC Branch 171 under Judge Ma. Nena Santos, attempted homicide and serious physical injuries at the Municipal Trial Court (MTC) Branch 15 under Judge Virgilio Jiro in Manila.

He is also the subject of two arrest warrants for frustrated murder in connection with the slay attempt on Panizal and homicide for the killing of barangay councilor Felicisimo Tupaz in Manila in 1997.

“He is no ordinary hired gun but a dreaded assassin,” Superintendent Reynaldo Orante, NPD-District Police Intelligence Unit (NPD-DPIU) chief, told The STAR yesterday.

According to Orante, De Jesus is also the prime suspect in the murder of a brother of a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) official in Davao recently.

It was confirmed by Police Officer 3 Dennis Santiago, investigator of the National Environmental Crime Task Force, when he visited the DPIU office last Thursday, Orante said.

“We could not divulge yet the details of the case for we are still consolidating our report on the matter,” Orante said.

NPD-DPIU investigator PO3 Rolando Domingo said that after the failed attempt on Panizal’s life, De Jesus, 41, tried to evade arrest by hiding in different places.

When the NPD cops located his hideout in Marilao, Bulacan, De Jesus transferred to Tondo, Manila but fled to Antipolo, Rizal as police were closing in on him.

The cops followed De Jesus to Antipolo, forcing him to move to Quezon province, then to Cavite and recently to Davao.

In Davao, he was reportedly hired to kill a ranking DENR official but instead he killed the brother of his target by mistake, Domingo said.

After the incident, De Jesus returned to Manila, where police arrested him last Tuesday in a bar in Ermita.

De Jesus is now detained at the Caloocan City Jail. – With Pete Laude