After 3 years: W. Visayas’s most wanted man falls

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — After three years of being a fugitive, the number one most wanted man in Western Visayas was caught Thursday afternoon in Iba town of Zambales.

This was confirmed by Interior Secretary Mar Roxas in a press conference Thursday night, as he revealed that Noel Ayalin, former barangay chairman of Kapitan Ramon village in Silay City, in Negros Occidental, was apprehended, by virtue of an arrest warrant for four counts of murder and three counts of frustrated homicide.

Roxas said the arrest of Ayalin came after Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez (3rd district, Negros Occidental) received intelligence reports on the whereabouts of the suspect.

“Benitez sent a tracker team to ascertain the location of the suspect and from there coordinated with the police in Region 3 to be able to effect the arrest,” Roxas said, adding that Ayalin will be brought back to Bacolod as soon as possible.

“The police had a manhunt for this person but the trail had gone cold. It became hot again after this intelligence report,” said Roxas. There was a minor resistance from Ayalin but the force was sufficient to prevent any resistance, he said.

Roxas, citing the heinousness, the sheer violence and the mindlessness of this crime—shooting unarmed innocent people, was thankful that Ayalin was finally arrested. “There will be no special treatment and let justice prevail,” he said.

Benitez, for his part, said, “we would like to thank the police for acting swiftly on the intel that was given to me and giving result of the capture of the number one most wanted person in the region.”

Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. said the P500,000 reward money from the provincial government will be given but the police has yet to validate who was the head and the tracker team while an additional P300,000 bounty will also be given by the Silay City government for the arrest of the fugitive.

Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, director of the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office, said a team from his command was sent Friday to Zambales to escort Ayalin back to the province.

He said documents were still being processed before presenting Ayalin to the Silay RTC, which issued the arrest warrant. “The judge will then issue a commitment order if where he will be detained,” he added.

It can be recalled that on March 6, 2011, Ayalin stormed into the barangay session hall where the incumbent officials were about to start their session and opened fire at them using his .45-caliber pistol.

The fatalities were identified as barangay councilmen Pedrito Orocio, Luzviminda Cotamen, Freddie Juno, and youth council chairwoman Aimee Occena, while those injured were village chairman Ramon Celebre, councilman Salvacion Corugda and village treasurer Lenny Llorca. (FREEMAN)