Father of slain SK head gets P.5-M bounty

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines   â€“ The father of a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) head who along with three other barangay officials was killed in a shooting spree in Silay City in 2011, got the P500,000 cash reward from the provincial government for being instrumental in the arrest of the prime suspect.

Armando Occeña received the reward from Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. on Thursday for tipping off the authorities on the whereabouts of massacre suspect Noel Ayalin, who was arrested in Iba, Zambales last May 15.

Occeña’s daughter Imee, SK head of Barangay Kapitan Ramon in Silay City, and three council members were killed when Ayalin went into a shooting spree while they were meeting on March 6, 2011.

Also killed were barangay council members Luzviminda Cotamen, Pedrito Orocio, and Freddie Juno. Four other village officials, including now incumbent chairman Ramon Celebre, were wounded in the attack.

Ayalin went into hiding after the massacre and topped the list of the 20 most-wanted persons in Western Visayas.

Aside from the P500,000 bounty from the provincial government, the Silay City government also offered a P300,000 reward for Ayalin’s arrest, although this has yet to be released.

Occeña and Celebre joined local police authorities in arresting Ayalin in Zambales.

Last week, Ayalin pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted homicide and was sentenced to a maximum of three years in jail.

His arraignment for four counts of direct assault with murder and three counts of attempted murder is scheduled today at the sala of Silay Regional Trial Court Judge Felipe Banzon.