Suspect in Ilocos power co-op exec's slay falls in Isabela

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines  – One of the suspects in last year’s killing of a ranking official of the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) was arrested in the boarding house being rented by a mayoral candidate in an interior Isabela town the other day.

Authorities identified the murder suspect as Noel Are-llano, who was tagged in the killing of INEC board president Lorenzo Rey Ruiz on Sept. 4 last year.

Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, Cagayan Valley police director, said Arellano, one of Ilocos Norte’s most wanted and reportedly a member of a gun-for-hire syndicate, had a pending warrant of arrest for Ruiz’s slay.

Elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Team of the Isabela police arrested Arellano during an operation against illegal firearms in the boarding house of mayoral bet Renato Garcia in Barangay Bolinao, Santo Tomas town Wednesday morning.

Garcia, a retired Parañaque City prosecutor, is running as an independent for the Santo Tomas mayoral post. The owner of the house he was renting was identified as one Ruben Lorenzo. 

Police said Arellano happened to be in the boarding house during the raid, although it was unclear what is his relationship with Garcia or Lorenzo.

The raid yielded two M-653 rifles, two caliber .38 revolvers, a 9-mm pistol, a caliber .45 pistol, several magazines and live ammunition.

It was covered by a search warrant issued by Judge Isaac de Alban of Ilagan Regional Trial Court Branch 27. 

Police, however, were still checking who owned the illegal firearms.

Besides Arellano, other suspects in Ruiz’s killing are Saturnino Pagaling and Victor Cajudoy, now both in the custody of the Ilocos Norte police.

Another suspect, Juanito Ancheta, was killed in a shootout with Ruiz’s aides.

Ruiz, 57, was reportedly intending to run for mayor of Dingras, Ilocos Norte against incumbent Mayor Marynette Gamboa when he was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men at the INEC substation compound in Currimao town, also in Ilocos Norte.

Reports said Ruiz was also set to run for re-election in the INEC board against Gamboa’s mother Elsie when he was killed in September last year, a month before the scheduled INEC poll.