TACLOBAN CITY – Samar operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested the alleged mastermind and gunman in the killing of Calbayog City Regional Trial Court Judge Roberto Navidad in a raid on their homes in Calbayog yesterday morning.
NBI officials identified the alleged mastermind as Santos Tarrayo Jr., sheriff of RTC Branch 32 which Navidad presided over, and the alleged triggerman as Joel Alebario, a murder convict.
Witnesses positively identified the two after their arrest yesterday in Barangay Dagun, Calbayog City.
Both suspects are now in NBI custody for tactical interrogation and documentation.
Navidad was gunned down last Jan. 14 in the downtown area of Calbayog.
Lawyer Antonio Pagatpat, NBI regional director, said his men were armed with warrants issued by the Manila RTC.
The NBI agents seized an unlicensed caliber .45 pistol believed used in Navidad’s killing from Tarrayo’s house.
“I am happy for the job well done by my men in the field (and) of course (for) the help of our partners in the police and the cooperation and support of the witnesses,” Pagatpat told The STAR.
Investigation showed that Alebario was freed last Dec. 14 from the Abuyog penal colony in Leyte where he served his sentence for murder.
Tarrayo allegedly paid Alebario for the hit job. The NBI, however, refused to provide additional details.
Pagatpat said investigation showed that Tarrayo and Navidad had not been in good terms for the last 10 years for unknown reasons.
Samar first district Rep. Reynaldo Uy told The STAR in a phone interview that he congratulated the NBI, police, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for the swift investigation into Navidad’s killing.
Pagatpat said though that their investigation would continue as they hope to get more information from Tarrayo and Alebario to identify another supposed mastermind in the killing.
“What is important now is we arrested the suspects and we have filed the appropriate charges against them. We declare this case closed and solved on the part of the NBI,” he said.