Alleged Abadilla killer arrested

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna - Police arrested last Saturday night in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite the alleged triggerman in the 1996 killing of retired Col. Rolando Abadilla, of the defunct Philippine Constabulary in Quezon City.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Leandro Mendoza announced yesterday the arrest of Romeo Dacles, alias Jerry and Joey, at around 7:35 p.m. last Saturday.

According to the police, Dacles was formerly the vice-commanding officer of the ABB command and concurrently the commanding officer of the Special Operation Unit of the group, whose primary task was to carry out high-profile and sensitive operation in the Metro Manila and Rizal area.

Chief Superintendent Domingo Reyes Jr., police director for Southern Tagalog, said intelligence information on Dacles also showed that he was one of the principal suspects in the killing of Las Piñas councilor Edgardo Jimenez, alias Mongo, in Pulang Lupa, Las Piñas City in 1993.

Reyes told reporters that Dacles’ arrest was carried out by virtue of the warrant of arrest issued on April 2000, by Judge Bonifacio Maceda, of Las Piñas Regional Trial Court Branch 275.

A background information by the police on Dacles’ criminal activities showed that Dacles was first arrested on Nov. 28, 1996 for illegal possession of firearms.

He was released on bail through the assistance of the late labor leader Felimon "Popoy" Lagman.

Reyes added that Dacles admitted involvement in the killing of Abadilla on June 13, 1996 along Katipunan Road, Quezon City.

During interrogation, Reyes claimed that Dacles was fully aware that there was a set of suspects already arrested, charged and convicted in court for the Abadilla slay. The court gave no credence to the statements of Ka Roger of the NPA Mount Banahaw command, that the NPAs were responsible for Abadilla’s death.

"He (Dacles) did not reveal the information upon his arrest in November in 1996 because he feared that his life would be endangered, " Reyes said.

Background information on the suspect also showed that Dacles was recruited into the Special Partisan Intelligence Group (SPIG) under the Regional Intelligence Service of the ABB. He volunteered for deployment in Quezon province in 1992, where he figured in ambuscades and encounters with Philippine Army soldiers.

Reyes said Dacles was sworn in as a full member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army in July, 1992. He opted to join the Rejectionist faction of the CPP. Dacles is now under custody of the Southern Tagalog police.

Meanwhile, Cavite’s most wanted criminal was killed in Trece Martirez Sunday night in an alleged shootout.

Chief Inspector Eliseo Cruz, provincial officer of the Cavite Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said Mariano Alarca, 53, alias Aning, of Barangay Cabezas, Trece Martires, was killed iinside his car parked in the garage of his house at about 11 p.m. Sunday.

He said that Alarca was wanted for several criminal charges, including multiple murder, frustrated murder and illegal possession of firearms.

Cruz said Alarca was shot dead after the latter tried to shoot at one of the arresting CIDU agents.

Doctors at the South Superhighway Medical Center in Trece Martires City declared Alarca dead on arrival due to multiple gunshot wounds in his body. Police recovered near Alarca’s body a submachine gun and a .45 cal. pistol.

Also recovered from the scene were three fully-loaded magazines for submachine guns and .45 cal. pistols. — With Ed Amoroso