Newsman’s slay ‘brains’ yields

A Batangas barangay chairman tagged as the brains in the Aug. 5 killing of journalist Arnnel Manalo gave himself up to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday.

The suspect, Edilberto Mendoza, 55, who heads the barangay captains’ group in Bauan, Batangas, said he decided to surface to clear his name.

"I could not kill Arnnel or have him killed. He was a close friend and almost a brother to me. He helped me when somebody tried to kill me," he told reporters.

Mendoza claimed that a businessman could have linked him to Manalo’s murder to get back at him for pushing for the closure of his business.

Mendoza’s nephew, Michael Garcia, was positively identified by Manalo’s brother Apollo as the gunman. Garcia was arrested in Baclaran, Parañaque City recently.

Mendoza said he went into hiding after Manalo’s killing because of death threats sent to his cellular phone.

NBI director Reynaldo Wycoco said there is still no arrest warrant for Mendoza in connection with Manalo’s slaying although he has two pending warrants for a separate murder and rape.

Mendoza claimed the businessman had something to do with the filing of the murder and rape charges against him.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay apologized yesterday for wrongly announcing the arrest of a policeman tagged as the gunman in the May 2002 killing of Pagadian City journalist Edgar Damalerio.

"It was a mistake and I (apologize) to our friends in the media and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines," he said.

"I hope you understand that sometimes there is miscommunications. We are just human and sometimes we commit mistakes," he added.

Police authorities in Western Mindanao earlier belied the arrest of dismissed policeman Guillermo Wapile, saying that negotiations were still ongoing for his surrender. — With Christina Mendez