2 cops nabbed in TV man’s slay

Four suspects, two of them Caloocan City police officers, have been arrested for the murder of a television cameraman last week, the first breakthrough after a 10-week deadline imposed by President Arroyo earlier this week.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Calderon said the four suspects in the July 28 murder of RPN-9 television cameraman Ralph Ruñez were apprehended in operations around Metro Manila over the past two days.

Calderon presented the four suspects to the media yesterday at the PNP headquarters at Camp Crame. They were identified as Inspector Bryan Limbo and PO3 Aristotle de Guzman of the Caloocan City police and their two accomplices, Nani Magnayon, the alleged gunman, and Charles Galarce.

The four face charges of robbery with homicide before the Caloocan City prosecutor’s office. Limbo and De Guzman allegedly planned the robbery.

Mrs. Arroyo last Tuesday gave the PNP a 10-week deadline to solve at least 10 of the numerous cases of execution-style killings of journalists and activists.

"We will judiciously pursue all cases of slain journalists and militants through honest-to-goodness police work regardless of who is involved," said Calderon.

Calderon said Ruñez was killed in what appeared to be a simple robbery last week.

"I am happy for the speedy resolution of the case but I am also sad that two police officers were involved. When I assumed office I promised to reform the organization and I will keep that promise," Calderon told Ruñez’s family, including his wife and parents.

In his report to Calderon, Northern Police District (NPD) director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil said the breakthrough came when an informant tipped the police that one of those involved was taken to a hospital for multiple gunshot wounds. Police found Galarce at East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City.

Bataoil said Limbo is the commander of Precinct 9 of Police Substation 5 while De Guzman is an officer assigned to a Substation 5 checkpoint. They are allegedly protectors of a notorious robbery gang led by a certain Alex Buenaobra.

During questioning, Galarce told investigators that he met with the three others in Bulacan on July 21 to plan the robbery. Galarce was initially tasked with shooting Ruñez if the cameraman resisted.

But in a meeting on July 26, Galarce told Magnayon that he was backing out of the original plan after being given a smaller share from an earlier heist.

"After backing out from the plan, Galarce stressed that he just went out to drive his motorcycle for Magnayon until 4 p.m. when the latter shot him on the back. Galarce lost consciousness and woke up already at the hospital," Bataoil said, adding that Galarce may have been shot to silence him.

His gangmates left him for dead but he survived. Galarce is recuperating at the hospital under heavy police guard.

"When shown with some photographs, Galarce identified the victim Ruñez as their supposed target while Limbo and De Guzman were present during the planning," Bataoil said.

Police gave no details on why Ruñez was targeted and how they knew that he had just withdrawn P35,000 from a nearby bank. Ruñez was shot dead in front of his house in Caloocan City.

When asked by National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Vidal Querol for their side, Limbo and De Guzman denied their alleged involvement.

They claimed that Galarce was trying to frame them because they arrested him for his involvement.

Querol said he was personally skeptical of their story. "I have arrested a number of people but no one implicated me to any wrongdoing," he said.

Ruñez’s family, led by his widow Rowena, thanked Calderon and Bataoil. "Thank you. We hope that justice will be given us," she said. "I believe in the PNP with General Calderon and General Bataoil. I have no anger in my heart but please pray for my husband."

Bataoil emphasized it’s not yet over. "We also need to convict all those charged in court," he said. "May this also serve as a reminder and a warning to everyone that crime does not pay."

On Thursday morning, Limbo and De Guzman were ordered to report to Bataoil and were arrested shortly while Magnayon was arrested later in the evening.

Under pressure

Mrs. Arroyo’s 10-week deadline came a day after two leftist activists were gunned down separately in Kalinga and Sorsogon provinces. A tabloid photographer was also shot and killed outside his home last Monday, but the attack could be due to a personal grudge.

"I am giving a 10-week deadline for the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police to jail suspects in at least 10 media or leftist killings," Mrs. Arroyo said in her directive issued before chairing a Cabinet meeting.

"I continue to condemn media and leftist killings in the strongest terms and I have ordered law enforcement to dig deeper into the motives involved," she said. "These cases could be personally or politically motivated but whatever the score, it is the full intent of the government to check all criminal acts and uphold the rule of law."

Senate President Manuel Villar expressed hope that law enforcement agencies can curb the killings. "The incidence of media and leftist killings is getting worse. It has become even more frequent. It’s good that an ultimatum has been given for law enforcers to buckle down to work and solve the cases. Let’s just hope that they will arrest real suspects and not fall guys," he said.

Mrs. Arroyo did not say, however, what would happen to law enforcement officials if her deadline is not met.

Three gunmen shot Vic Melendres of the tabloid Tanod outside his home, and police suspect the attack could be related to the murder of his cousin in May.

Leftist student leader Reimon Guran, 21, was shot dead by two gunmen as he waited for a bus in the central Philippine town of Bulan.

Just an hour after his killing, Constancio Claver, a provincial leader of the leftist political party Bayan Muna and his wife were ambushed in the northern province of Kalinga. The wife died while Claver is in critical condition.

Melendres is the fourth journalist to be killed this year, after seven were killed in 2005, making the Philippines the second most dangerous place for journalists next to Iraq.

Bayan Muna said 104 of its members had been killed by what they suspected to be army "death squads" since Mrs. Arroyo assumed office in 2001.

The claim is denied by the military, which accuses the party of being a front for the rebel Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.

The government has been fighting one of the world’s most tenacious Maoist insurgencies for the past 37 years. Mrs. Arroyo wants the military to end the insurgency in three regions in Luzon within two years and has vowed to provide the resources to do the job.

Many leftist groups have also been at the forefront of efforts to oust Mrs. Arroyo over allegations of cheating in the 2004 presidential election.

In February, Mrs. Arroyo declared a state of national emergency to counter a reported coup by rogue military officers allied with communist rebels and elements of the opposition. — With Jerry Botial, Pete Laude, Marvin Sy, AFP