Maliksi’s distant kin yields, admits killing

CAMP PANTALEON GARCIA, Imus, Cavite — A distant relative of Gov. Ayong Maliksi surrendered shortly after midnight Sunday and admitted fatally shooting a former tabloid reporter because of personal grudge.

Benedicto Maliksi Jr., 28, of Bacoor town, gave himself up to the Bacoor police and the Cavite police intelligence group in Sucat, Parañaque City, upon the prodding of his father, Benedicto Sr.

Former Remate reporter Dennis Ramos, who wrote a column for a community paper, was gunned down at about 11:30 p.m. last Friday while walking along Zapote 4 street.

Ramos had come from an illegal gambling joint, allegedly owned by one Angel Torres, alias "Bulag," when he was shot several times with a 9 mm pistol.

Earlier reports said at least four armed men killed Ramos. But Maliksi Jr. told reporters yesterday that he was alone when he shot Ramos.

Maliksi said he and Ramos had a fight over grease money the victim was collecting from Bulag.

Ramos, he said, pointed a gun at him. He grappled with the gun and shot Ramos with it.

He denied having companions in shooting Ramos. Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao, Cavite police director, however, said probers are still looking into the possibility that Maliksi had a companion during the incident.

With Maliksi’s surrender, Pagdilao said police are now ruling out politics in the killing. However, he said, investigators are still checking if Bulag had something to do with it.

Police are also not discounting the illegal drugs angle since initial investigation showed that Ramos was on Bacoor’s drug watch list.

Police have yet to recover the gun used in the killing. Maliksi claimed having thrown it in a creek.