2 suspected hired guns arrested after failed Nueva Ecija slay try

CABANATUAN CITY , Philippines  — Two suspected gun-for-hire gangmen were arrested by joint Army and police forces following a brief firefight in Llanera, Nueva Ecija shortly after an aborted murder attempt, the Philippine National Police reported here yesterday.

In a report to Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac Jr., PNP regional director in Central Luzon, provincial police director Senior Superintendent Ricardo Marquez identified the two suspects as Dennis Vilelia, 30, of Barangay Puting Tubig, Gapan City and Rafael Merez, 25, of Barangay San Juan, Aliaga, Nueva Ecija.

Marquez said prior to the encounter with the suspects Thursday, the two, riding in a Euro motorcycle (5331-CU), had just attempted to kill Bernardo Martin, 51, a sales agent of a bottling company of Talavera, Nueva Ecija in Barangay Mabini, Llanera. Martin was heavily wounded and has been listed in critical condition at an undisclosed hospital.

When gunshots rang out in Mabini, elements of the Llanera police, led by SPO2 Edilberto Cruz rushed to the scene, triggering a firefight with the two suspects. Reinforcements from the provincial public safety management company and the Army’s 81st Infantry Battalion reinforced the local police, resulting to the wounding of Merez and the eventual capture of the suspects.

Police recovered from the encounter scene six empty shells and one deformed slug for caliber .45 pistol and the getaway motorcycle.

Under tactical interrogation, the suspects said they were hired by Merez’s relative, Renato Merez, to kill Martin who he suspected of having an affair with his wife.

Renato reportedly provided them with a caliber .45 pistol with three loaded magazines and the motorcycle. They were handed P1,000 as downpayment. The balance of P20,000 would be given if the liquidation plot was successfully carried out.

Marquez said Vilelia was tagged for the Dec. 8, 2009 aborted shooting of one Rene Bernalte in Barangay San Ricardo, Talavera, Nueva Ecija. Investigations by the Talavera police led to the positive identification of Vilelia by Bernalte.

Marquez said criminal cases for direct assault, illegal possession of firearms and violations of the Omnibus Election Code and frustrated murder were filed against the suspects at the provincial prosecutors office.

Vilelia will be separately charged for frustrated murder for attacking Bernalte.