Arrest order vs. suspect in slay of ex-mayor out

The court has ordered the arrest of the former policeman accused in the killing of former Santa Fe Mayor Rogelio Illustrisimo in front of the provincial office of the Commission on Elections few days before the May 14 elections.

Judge Ester Veloso of the Regional Trial Court Branch 6 signed the warrant of arrest against Arnulfo Pigon yesterday morning. Veloso ordered the chief of police in Antipolo City, Rizal to arrest Pigon immediately and have him turned over to the court.

Veloso addressed the warrant to the police in Antipolo City and not to the National Bureau of Investigation where Pigon has voluntarily submitted himself for protective custody following his surrender.    

Pigon, whose last known address was Cupang, Antipolo City, surrendered to a media personality in Manila few days after he learned of the news that he was the suspect in the murder of Illustrisimo.

 The news anchor turned over Pigon to the NBI, which took him in custody until now.

Pigon was tagged by witnesses to be the gunman allegedly hired by Illustrisimo’s political rival, Dominggo Zaspa. But Zaspa was cleared by the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office of the murder charge for lack of evidence.

Pigon, who was dismissed from police service in 2004 after going absent without leave, said his neighbors can testify that he was in Antipolo City when Ilustrisimo was killed. — Fred P. Languido/LPM