Cebu Customs examiner denies hand in colleagues’ slays

CEBU CITY — A Customs examiner, who has been tagged as the alleged mastermind in the ambush-slaying of two colleagues last July, was reported to have denied any involvement in the killing.

Customs collector Billy Bibit said examiner Arnold Famor, who has gone missing since the day he was implicated in the case by one of two suspects now in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation, allegedly showed up at the Customs office last Thursday to file a three-day leave of absence.

Famor did so a day after calling Bibit from an undisclosed location to issue the denial and ask for advice.

Bibit said he advised Famor to get a lawyer and answer the allegations against him.

Juan Jesus Vergel de Dios, a private driver of erstwhile Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service chief Felix Espino, alleged it was Famor who hired him to help in the killing of Customs deputy collector for operations Eduardo Lao and examiner Bennet Soreno.

His job, according to Vergel de Dios, was to drive the motorcycle to be used by the other suspect, Rustico Fernandez, in killing the two Customs officials.

Vergel de Dios subsequently recanted his admission and is now saying he was never a party to the killing, insisting that he does not even know how to drive a motorcycle.

Fernandez, on the hand, also denied his hand in the killing, claiming that he was playing basketball in Barangay Sambag I at the time of the ambush.

A high school student, Alain Dave Ravina, was fatally hit in the head by a stray bullet.

Bibit, who said he personally believes that Famor is not involved in the ambush-slaying, recalled that the Customs examiner was crying when he phoned him.

Bibit said he is not obligated to surrender Famor, in reaction to reports that NBI regional director Reynaldo Esmeralda would ask him to produce the alleged mastermind.

"I am not obligated to do it. Hindi ko rin pababayaan ang bata ko na ma-subject sa humiliation and injustice (I won’t also allow one of my men to be subjected to humiliation and injustice)," Bibit said.

Bibit said Famor filed a leave for Sept. 18, 19 and 22. Deputy collector for administration Eduard James Dy Buce reportedly approved it.

It could not be independently confirmed if anyone else saw Famor at the Customs building since he went missing.

Vergel de Dios, who claimed he was intimidated by the NBI and pressured by media to admit taking part in the crime but refused to say how he was intimidated, remains under NBI custody upon his family’s request.

Fernandez was transferred to the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center (BBRC) the other day as the court had ordered.

Esmeralda said it was getting to be quite expensive for them to continue having both suspects in their custody since they have also asked for the services of a SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) squad to help beef up security in their offices.

BBRC warden Nestor Velasquez told a radio interview that he could not assure the safety of Fernandez inside the jail because of lack of personnel who can keep a close watch on him.

The NBI has tied the killing of Lao and Soreno to the theft of two container vans containing smuggled rice from Singapore. The two vans were part of a 10-van shipment that Lao had ordered seized.

The NBI also has in its custody two port workers who were allegedly recruited by Fernandez on behalf of other parties to help spirit out the two vans.

Espino has since been relieved in connection with the theft of the two vans.

The NBI has charged five people in connection with the theft. They are Winley de la Fuente, who allegedly paid out the money to have the vans stolen, port workers Arnel Ondoy, Arnold Glodove and Fernando Feliciano, and Fernandez.

Fernandez has admitted taking part in the theft but not in the slaying of Lao and Soreno.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he is convinced that the NBI has the right suspects in both the killing and the van theft and lauded the agency for doing a wonderful job. — Freeman News Service