Police kill South Mindanao’s most wanted criminal

DAVAO CITY – The colorful life of Antolin Buenaventura, a.k.a. Ben Tumbling, Southern Mindanao’s most wanted person finally came to an end last Sunday when he was killed in a joint operation by various police units in Barangay Pasian, Monkayo, Compostela Valley.

Buenaventura, who was in his mid-40s, was also among the country’s most wanted persons having figured in several cases such as robbery, murder, extortion, kidnapping and even illegal drugs. He was even believed to be responsible for the death of a Philippine Constabulary official here in the 1980s.

A P250,000 reward was reportedly put up for Buenaventura’s head.

Lately, Buenaventura was reportedly selling his services as gun-for-hire with businessmen as his clients. He was said to have used the proceeds of his "killing services" to purchase parcels of land in Davao del Norte.

Compostela Valley provincial police chief Jaime Morente said Buenaventura was killed at around 1:45 p.m. Sunday. His lone bodyguard escaped in a manhunt operation in Barangay Pasian conducted by the joint elements of the Mindanao Task Force, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group XI and the provincial police command.

Morente said a .38 caliber revolver was also recovered from Buenaventura’s remains.

Davao City Police Office chief Supirintendent. Samuel Yordan said Buenaventura led a very colorful life.

"His crimes were varied as he was also always able to elude arrest," Yordan said.

Buenaventura had often boasted that his "amulets" protected him from pursuing authorities. In the end, the amulets proved worthless against the bullets of pursuing lawmen.

Yordan said Buenaventura operated almost all over the country as he was said to have also committed crimes in the cities of Zamboanga, Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Cagayan, Butuan and in key areas in Metro Manila. – Edith Regalado