Fuente police arrests Ducayag case suspect

CEBU, Philippines - Fuente police arrested Jeffrey Aquino, the controversial security personnel tagged in the killing of Mario Alfie Dugayag, early morning yesterday.

Sr. Supt. Noli Romana, city director and from Cebu City Police Office, together with Fuente Police Station commander Chief Insp. Wildemar Tiu presented the suspect to the media yesterday.

Romana said that right after Regional Trial Court Branch 19 Judge Wilfredo Navarro issued the warrant of arrest to Aquino and Mauricio Doblados Jr., CCPO have been conducting surveillance operations to locate the suspects.

Aquino and Doblados Jr., who still remains at large, are facing a charge for the crime of murder for allegedly mauling to death Mario Alfie Ducayag last April 12, 2013.

Tiu said that past 5:00 a.m. yesterday, PO2 Gelou Destacamento, warrant server, received information that Aquino is at B. Rodriguez Street, Sambag II, in Cebu City. He immediately took the warrant with him, verified the report and arrested the suspect after seeing him.

The suspect was about to ride a jeepney his girlfriend to send her to work when he was arrested.

In an interview, Aquino said that he was not in hiding, and he is aware that a warrant of arrest was issued against him. He said that yesterday afternoon, as advised by his lawyer, he intended to turn himself over to the National Bureau of Investigation 7, but PO2 Destacamento was faster than him. 

At the same Aquino was brought by Tiu to be presented to Romana in his office in Camp Sotero Cabahug, Ducayag's mother and sister were present at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7 office, also in Camp Sotero Cabahug.

Fe Soledad and Marie Shantylle made a visit to Supt. Fermin Armendarez requesting CIDG's assistance for the arrest of the suspects, not knowing that Aquino has already been arrested earlier.

When they saw the suspect a few meters away, the victim's mother and sister became a bit emotional. They tried to get near Aquino, but he boarded inside Tiu's service vehicle and avoided them.

Ducayag's mother said that Aquino's arrest is a step towards justice for her son's death.

She said that she can forgive the suspects for what they have done to her son, but they must answer for the crime that they committed.

Romana, Tiu and Soledad urged Doblados to turn himself over to whoever he feels comfortable.

A team of intelligence operatives were also deployed by Supt. Romeo Santander, City Intelligence Branch chief, to conduct manhunt operation for Doblados.  (FREEMAN)