3rd suspect in Malabor slay nabbed

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The third of 10 suspects in the killing of Provincial Board Member Renato Malabor and his bodyguard Leody Jomilla was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation in Binalbagan town, Tuesday night.

Police identified the suspect as Eduardo Jugos Jr, a native of Barangay Canmoros in Binalbagan. He was among the 10 persons, including a police officer, who were charged with double murder charges on the killing of Malabor and Jomilla outside a cockpit at Barangay Guitubhan, Isabela town last June 28.

Superintendent Antonietto Cañete, head of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group-Special Operation Unit, said Jugos handed a sachet containing shabu to a police poseur-buyer in exchange for P500, which was a marked money, at the time of the bust.

When apprehended, Jugos yielded drug paraphernalia and two other sachets, containing shabu, which weighed a total of more than five grams and had an estimated market value of P33,000.

Cañete said Jugos, who is now in police custody, facing charges for sale and possession of illegal drugs, was the third suspect arrested in relation to the Malabor assassination.

Senior Superintendent Samuel Nacion, officer-in-charge of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said a lone witness implicated Jugos to be at the crime scene. “He was part of the back-ups, according to the affidavit of the witness, and was there in case the plan won’t run smoothly, like if there was retaliation or responding authorities.”

Nacion said witnesses saw Jugos, along with the other lookouts—two of them were from Leyte—fleeing from the crime scene on a motorcycle.

Two other suspects in the Malabor slay case were already arrested in separate police operations in Himamaylan City. Jacklyn Villaqer, 26, of Moises Padilla town was arrested on July 9 for illegal possession of firearms while and Felipe Juntarciego of Himamaylan City was collared on July 25 for illegal drugs and gunrunning.

Villaqer allegedly revealed he was one of the lookouts in the murder of Malabor and Jomilla.

Another in the suspects’ list, Police Officer 1 Robert Chloe Rito was relieved from his post in Isabela Municipal Police Station and is now assigned to the base camp of NOPPO. He was tagged as the gunman, according to the statement of four witnesses.

Other suspects who were charged for double murder were Alias Aling, Alias Nonoy, Alias Jason, and three John Does. The Prosecutor's Office however has yet to resolve the two murder complaints, which was filed on July 29.