Man arrested for murder committed 22 years ago

CEBU, Philippines - A warrant of arrest untouched since 2004 was finally served to a murder suspect who has reportedly been hiding for the past 22 years.

Gerald Ursabia, 54, of Ma. Theresa Village I, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, was arrested by joint elements of the City Intelligence Branch, Homicide Section and the Guadalupe Police Station around 8:30 p.m. the other day for a murder he allegedly committed 22 years ago.

The suspect did not resist arrest as he saw that he was already surrounded by the police.

Ursabia allegedly worked as the bodyguard of a local politician.

Intelligence Chief Romeo Santander said that the arrest warrant was discovered by the police through a backtracking of cases.

While checking, they discovered that the warrant had been untouched for years.

Ursabia was the only one positively identified in a group of men who allegedly killed the victim, other details of the case were not available.

Santander added they received orders coming from Camp Crame requiring them to serve at least 150 arrest warrants per month.

Santander said that they had exceeded the quota thus far as they already had issued over 200 warrants of arrest.

The program is aimed to decrease the number of unserved warrants of arrest. – (FREEMAN)