Negros police given 3 days to nab killer

Bacolod City, Philippines – Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Maranon Jr. yesterday gave the provincial police three days to arrest the suspect in the killing of four barangay officials in Silay City.

Maranon said he is also planning to offer a cash reward for the arrest of Noel Ayalin.

Although the case is an isolated one, he said barangay officials should learn from this incident and deploy tanods during their sessions, especially when discussing sensitive matters.

Senior Superintendent Allan Guisihan, provincial police director, said his men have been hunting down Ayalin since Sunday.

Guisihan has created Task Group Manhunt Ayalin, headed by Superintendent Armando Tobongbanua of the Public Safety Company, to arrest Ayalin, 48, who barged into a meeting of the barangay council and went into a shooting spree.

He also created another task force headed by Superintendent Remus Canieso to investigate the killing.

PO2 Renato Bernel of the Silay police said they received information that Ayalin was spotted in a barangay in the city yesterday.

Ayalin, a former barangay captain, shot dead Barangay Kapitan council members Luzviminda Cotamen, 45; Freddie Juno, 58; and Pedrito Orocio, 52; and Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson Imee Occeña, 16.

Occeña was able to send a text message to her father asking for help, and begged Ayalin to spare her but he shot her between the eyes.

Occeña was a candidate for valedictorian at the Don Felix T. Lacson Memorial National High School.

Wounded were barangay chairman Ramon Celebre, 45; barangay councilwoman Salvacion Corugda, 42; and barangay treasurer Lenny Llorca, 34.

Ayalin’s wife told police that her husband was enraged by the investigation into P1.2 million in unliquidated expenses when he was still the barangay chairman and the non-release of his terminal leave credits, Bernel said.