Police arrest suspected gun-for-hire in killing of Bayawan City bizman

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – Police arrested Friday morning in Hinobaan town of Negros Occidental, one of three suspects in the January 19, 2011 murder of Manuel Lacson, businessman from Bayawan City in Negros Oriental and seized from him a cache of high powered firearms and ammunition.

Suspect Alex Mayagma, a fish ball vendor, did not resist arrest when a joint team of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOrPPO), the Bayawan City police, the Hinobaan police and intelligence operatives, swooped down on him around 10 a.m. Friday in Hinobaan.

The arresting team recovered a KG-9-mm machine pistol, an Ingram machine pistol, more than a hundred live rounds of ammunition of various caliber, personal belongings and amulets (anting-anting), among others.

Mayagma is said to be a member of a gun-for-hire group in Bayawan City, to include Pacito Libron and Jason “Bobong” Tanasan, who were earlier arrested and are now detained for other murder raps.

NOrPPO deputy director Supt. Alet Virtucio said Mayagma was arrested by virtue of an alias warrant of arrest issued by Judge Ananson Jayme of the RTC-branch 63 in Bayawan City, dated May 10, 2012.

Apart from Mayagma, other respondents in Criminal Case No. 1366 are Herman Escora alias Ricky Escora, Remy Diocares, and a John Doe. They were charged with robbery with homicide following intense investigation that led to their identification as the alleged perpetrators who shot dead 50-year-old businessman Lacson.

Mayagma told reporters Friday evening that he was not among those who attacked and killed Lacson, and denied being involved in the liquidation attempt on the life of Bayawan City Councilor Victorino Alabastro.

He admitted however that he was offered P500,000 to assassinate Gov. Roel Degamo, an offer that he turned down but which had pushed him to go into hiding in Hinobaan where his wife hails from.

Mayagma, however, was uncertain of the year that he was allegedly contracted to kill the governor, first saying it was four years ago and then later realizing that Degamo was not governor then. He also claimed that he feared for his life because the other suspected hired guns, like Tanasan and Libron, wanted him dead.

On how he procured the guns that he admitted belonged to him, Mayagma said it was easy to acquire these because they were sold cheap, between P5,000 to P7,000 each, but he did not say who supplied or sold to him the live rounds of ammunition, some of which were of the imported kind.

Virtucio said multiple charges of illegal possession of high powered firearms and ammunition will be filed against Mayagma who is now under detention at the NOrPPO headquarters at Agan-an in Sibulan town.  - THE FREEMAN