Police arrest 2 suspected hired guns, “mastermind”

Two suspected guns-for-hire and their “mastermind” were separately arrested yesterday dawn during an alleged attempt to kill a woman, a supervisor of a Chinese restaurant at barangay Kasambagan.

The two alleged hitmen were identified as Edgardo Larano, 30, resident of sitio Lapyahan in Labogon, Mandaue City, and his cousin Severino Ohayas, a native of Pinamungajan but now residing at barangay Cubacub also in Mandaue City.

The alleged mastermind, identified as 36-year-old Ronila Repaza of Mercado Compound at Elizabeth Pond in barangay Camputhaw, who allegedly paid them to kill a woman, was arrested a few minutes later.

Their alleged target was Guillerma Lirazan, 36, a restaurant supervisor working at a Chinese restaurant in an arcade along Banilad Road in Kasambagan.

Senior Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes told The Freeman that last December 26, the two men, on a motorcycle, chased Lizaran who was then riding also on a motorcycle driven by her brother on their way to Talamban.

Upon reaching Nasipit Road, one of the two men, later identified as Larano, reportedly fired at Lirazan but his gun misfired twice. Nevertheless, this caused Lizaran and her brother to fall to the group as their motorcycle crashed in the process. They however managed to escape from the attackers, who just left the area quickly.

Lizaran and her companions reported to the Theft and Robbery Section where an artist’s sketch of the assailants were eventually done. Meanwhile, Bastes instructed Lizaran and other restaurant employees to report to the police any suspicious person in the restaurant.

By early dawn yesterday, the TRS received a call from a restaurant employee informing that the alleged attacker has been seen at the restaurant’s area. This prompting the TRS to respond, which resulted to the arrest of Larano and Ohayas.

“Kana si Larano misulod-sulod man na sa restaurant siguro naniid ba sa target, namay-ungan man siya sa mga witness adtong December 26 nga hitabo mao to nitawag dinhi sa amo,” Bastes said, believing that it was the hitmen’s stakeout to locate their target.

The police recovered from Ohayas a homemade .45 caliber pistol with a magazine loaded with seven live bullets, a red Honda XRM motorcycle (license plate YT-6590), and for Larano a cellular phone.

The two reportedly named Repaza as the one who hired them to kill Lirazan at a price of P20,000. She also provided them the guns, they alleged further.

During interrogation, Repaza allegedly called through the cellular phone of Larano verifying the outcome of the “job.” The police quickly took this an opportunity to arrest Repaza through an entrapment operation.

Repaza and Larano “agreed to meet” at the vicinity of SSS building on Escario Street where Larano would return the gun to her. When Repaza arrived, the police immediately arrested her then seized from her the cellular phone used in the transactions.

When reporters interviewed Larano about the case, he first admitted being hired by Repaza but he later retracted this by denying what he said earlier. He insisted they never killed any body before.

Repaza, for her part, denied hiring the two men to kill Lirazan and countered that the two were hired by Lizaran herself to kill her and her children.

The police are now eyeing a love triangle angle on the case as the primary motive. Meantime, they are set to indict the arrested suspects for illegal possession of firearms and attempted murder.  — Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE