Cop charged for Negros board member’s slay

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – A police officer was among 12 persons charged last Tuesday for the killing of Negros Occidental board member Renato Malabor and his security escort in Isabela town last month.

Police Officer 1 Robert Chloe Rito of the Isabela municipal police was identified by three witnesses as the gunman who shot Malabor and Leody Jomilla, Senior Superintendent Peter Naboye, director of the Western Visayas Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said yesterday.

Naboye said one of the witnesses found Rito’s wallet at the crime scene in Barangay Guintubhan.

Aside from Rito, among those charged were Felipe Juntarciego, Jacklyn Villaquer and four others identified only by their aliases as Aming, Bongbong, Jason and Nonoy.

Naboye said they had identified the mastermind, but refused to give details as investigators  have yet  to gather additional evidence.

 Juntarciego and Villaquer, who were arrested in nearby Himamaylan town, reportedly served as lookouts during the killing.

Senior Inspector Anthony Grande, chief of the Isabela police, said Rito was on leave and would return to duty on Aug. 3.

Grande said Rito had to attend to his child who was confined in a hospital in this city.

Rito denied the charges, saying he was at home when Malabor was killed.

Naboye said they have 10 witnesses to the crime.  Four of them, including a 12-year-old boy, executed their affidavits before the prosecutor’s office on Tuesday.