Principal suspect in twin Nueva Ecija slays nabbed

CABANATUAN CITY – A prime suspect in the June 15 twin killings of the mayor-elect and vice mayor-elect of Lupao, Nueva Ecija was arrested over the weekend in Bulacan, police said.

Senior Superintendent Agripino Javier, provincial police director, told reporters here that Maximo de la Rosa, 45, was nabbed in his safehouse in Pulilan, Bulacan by a composite team of the provincial police led by provincial intelligence officer Chief Inspector Alexander Mariano and the San Jose City police led by Superintendent Signey Villaflor.

De la Rosa was tagged in the killings of Lupao mayor-elect Alfredo Vendivil and his cousin, vice mayor-elect Virgilio Vendivil, in a cockpit arena in San Jose City last July 15. Seven others, including a nine-year-old boy, were wounded in the attack.

Police said seven others were involved in the shooting.

Javier said double murder charges have been filed against De la Rosa before the San Jose City prosecutor’s office.

He said De la Rosa’s arrest was the result of a police intelligence build-up in coordination with the 302nd Criminal Investigation and Detection Group led by Chief Inspector Benjamin Villasis which took custody of one of the witnesses.

Javier identified the two other suspected gunmen as Arvin Yasay and Abraham Esteban, both still at large.

Javier said they have yet to establish the identity of the mastermind. He earlier said a local politician was involved in the killings.

“Hopefully, the arrest of De la Rosa and the filing of charges against Yasay and Esteban would lead us into unmasking the mastermind,” he said.