Former brgy chief convicted of murder raps

CEBU, Philippines – Former chairman Noel Ayalin of Barangay Kapitan Ramon in Silay City was meted with 160 years imprisonment for four counts of murder and another 60 years for three counts of frustrated murder.

In a 37-page decision, Silay City Regional Trial Court-Branch 69 Judge Felipe Banzon found Ayalin guilty beyond reasonable doubt on the four counts of qualified direct assault with murder, and sentenced the accused to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua at the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa City.

In the three counts of qualified direct assault with frustrated murder, the RTC found Ayalin guilty beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced him to suffer the penalty of 12 years of prison mayor as minimum to 20 years of reclusion temporal as maximum, also at the National Penitentiary.

The court further ordered Ayalin to pay each of the heirs of murder victims Luzviminda Cotamen and Pedrito Orocio the amount of P85,000 in actual and compensatory damages; P75,000 (civil indemnity); P75,000 (moral damages); and P30,000 (exemplary damages).

Ayalin was also ordered to pay the heirs of Freddie Juno the total amount of P215,000 for various damages, and the family of Aimee Occena a total of P242,000 in damages.

The court ordered Ayalin to pay complainants Ramon Celebre a total of P119,000 in various damages; Salvacion Corugda a total of P292,212.73 in damages; and Lenie Llorca a total of P371,602.28 in damages.

Ayalin was tagged by the police as the number one most wanted man in Western Visayas with P800,000 bounty on his head after he shot and killed four village officials, including a youth council chairwoman, and injured three others, inside the session hall on March 6, 2011.

Ayalin was apprehended on May 15, last year in Iba town of Zambales after three years of evading arrest.