Northern Samar mayor, 7 lawmen yield for slay of ex-jail warden, 2 others

TACLOBAN CITY — A Northern Samar woman mayor and seven policemen were among 13 people who surrendered to police authorities the other day in connection with the killing of a former provincial jail warden and two civilians during the barangay elections last July 15.

Superintendent Alberto Mendador, Northern Samar police director, confirmed to The STAR that Mayor Elena Balite of Bobon town, her son Christopher and his wife Floressa and seven policemen, including Bobon’s police chief, had given themselves up.

Mendador said they surrendered a day after Bobon Municipal Trial Court Judge Alma Consuelo Esidera issued warrants for their arrest for the killing of former Northern Samar jail warden Rene Carpina.

Carpina, along with civilians Faustino Gepillo and Alma Olivario, was slain inside the Bobon Elementary School in the town’s poblacion while votes were being canvassed.

Carpina was a poll watcher of his brother Manuel, who was running for chairman of Barangay Poblacion.

Earlier, five other suspects — Christopher Balite’s daughter Irma, her husband Miguel Sayde, Irma Timtiman, Florante Balite and Ronnie Isidro — had surrendered, Mendador said. Nine more suspects are at-large.

The seven Bobon policemen who gave themselves up were Chief Inspector Eusebio Alcera, the municipal police chief; SPO3s Eleuterio Celespara and Raul Macasa, SPO1s Manuel Catucod, Jose Igang and Roger Tiberio, and PO2 Lauro Miranda.