Killing of Radioman George Benaojan: Suspect turns self in to cops

The suspected killer of Bantay Radyo reporter George Benaojan has surrendered to the operatives of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID) Thursday night, a month and 12 days since the incident.

Jinky Jagdon said that he surrendered to the RIID team led by C/Insp. Romeo Santander at sitio Bontores, Basak-San Nicolas, Cebu City to clear his name. He also said that he has received threats to his life.

Adriano 'Jammy' Llanos, who witnessed the shooting of Benaojan, however, positively identified Jagdon from a police line up yesterday morning at the RIID-7 office. It was also Llanos who drove Benaojan to the hospital.

Nine other men were asked to join the suspect in the line-up, but Llanos easily picked him out.

Jagdons's lawyer, Rameses Villagonzalo said that his client surrendered to seek protection of the police and said that he is willing to cooperate to solve the case.

RIID chief, S/Supt. Augusto Marquez, Jr. said that Jagdon already sent feelers about his surrender last December 16 through a relative, who is known to Santander. It was only after lengthy negotiations that the suspect finally gave up.

Banaojan was shot in the evening of December 1, 2005 inside the Talisay South Central Market and died hours later at the Chong Hua Hospital.

Jagdon told reporters in an interview that all the accusations against him are not true. He said that he will not ask forgiveness from the relatives of the slain radioman since that would be tantamount to admitting the crime.

The suspect also explained that he transferred from Lawaan, Talisay to Kinasang-an in 2002 after two of his neighbors, who are brothers, harassed him by pointing a gun at him and throwing stones at his house. He added that he was harassed since he was accused to be an informer of the police, who has been feeding information about them.

Jagdon, a former professional boxer, said that the same people who harassed him are the ones who made sure that his name would be dragged into the death of Benaojan. He even said that these people, who he accused to be drug lords, are the ones responsible for the crime.

He explained that these people are out to seek revenge against him since he filed a harassment case against them in 2002.

Jagdon also denied the allegation that he killed Felix de los Santos, a tanod of barangay Pahina Central in 2002.

Jagdon also explained his name saying that the name Roberto is not his given name, it is only Jinky. He said that a relative of his wife, who did not know him, made up that name.

Jinky, 40 years old, is married and has with four children. The eldest is 10 while the youngest is six years old.

He said that he started his boxing career as an amateur in 1979 and was a gold medallist in the National Open on the same year. He claims he turned pro in 1987 and won a championship belt here in Cebu in 1989 as a bantamweight. He also claims to have fought 46 times logging 30 wins, 4 losses and 12 draws.

Records from www.boxrec.com however show that a certain Dingky Jagdon, who turned professional on June 24, 1987, had a three-year professional career that finished with one win and six losses.

Jagdon has been committed to the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center (BBRC) after he was presented in because of a pending warrant for the murder case filed against him due to the death of the tanod in 2002.