He was town councilor: Suspected Samar PAG leader slain in clash

PALO, LEYTE , Philippines  – A suspected leader of the notorious Moloboco private armed group (PAG) operating in Samar province’s 1st district was killed in an encounter with police operatives recently.

This was confirmed by outgoing Samar Provincial Police director Sr. Supt. Tomasito Clet who identified recently the body of the slain man as that of Eleuterio “Eyong” Moloboco, who was also an elected councilor of Gandara town.

Moloboco’s cadaver was found beside the river in Brgy. Palamrag of Gandara town where policemen of the 2nd Regional Public Safety Management Batallion based in Calbiga, Samar had a gunfight with members of the PAG.

Clet, in his report to the Police Regional Office-8, said the right and left legs of the cadaver of Moloboco were detached from the torso and were already state of decomposition.

Police authorities believed that Moloboco was killed during the encounter between the Moloboco PAG and the police in the morning of March 17.

The police at the time were about to serve two warrants of arrest against Moloboco, one for murder and another for homicide cases, when the firefight took place.

A policeman, identified as PO1 Jerecson Tilos, was wounded in that encounter, while a follow up operations resulted in the arrest of two suspected members of the PAG, identified as Gedion “Arnie” Marcial, 45, and Arnel “Onie” Aragon, 21.

Marcial was caught in possession of two pieces of hand grenade and Aragon was caught in possession of an M14 rifle with four magazines each loaded with live ammos.

Moloboco, who was tagged as maintaining a PAG armed with high powered firearms, was earlier arrested before the May 2010 elections because of alias pending warrant arrest.

During the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy, Moloboco decided to join the political race and got himself elected as town councilor of Gandara.

He however failed to assume his post on June 30, 2010 because of criminal cases pending in court, and went into hiding himself for several months until the recent encounter with the policemen.

Police Regional Office-8 director Chief Supt. Arnold Revilla, however refused to confirm to the media about which group of politicians in Samar the Moloboco PAG belongs.

He only said that what was important to the PRO-8 was to neutralize the PAG and arrest its members.

In last year’s elections, PRO-8 was able to neutralize at least five out of eight PAGs in Samar, believed being maintained and supported by some politicians to harass and threat the voters in remote areas of the province.