BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The arrested fugitive, former village chief Noel Ayalin of Silay City, during his arraignment at MTCC-branch 37 before Judge Eunice Cuansing, pleaded guilty on attempted homicide charges, but his arraignment on four counts of murder and three counts of frustrated murder was reset by RTC-branch 69 Judge Felipe Banzon to next month.
Ayalin, who evaded arrest for three years and tagged by the police as the number one most wanted man in Western Visayas with P800,000 bounty on his head, admitted to Judge Cuansing that he almost killed village councilman Geoffrey Laturgo and bookkeeper Jomari Occena, who were able to escape after Ayalin went on a shooting spree on March 6, 2011.
Ayalin had no lawyer during the arraignment prompting Cuansing to appoint lawyer Myra Go of the Public Attorney's Office to act as the defendant's counsel.
On the cases of four counts of direct assault with murder and three counts of direct assault with frustrated murder, Judge Banzon reset the arraignment of Ayalin to June 9 after the latter appeared in court without a lawyer. Banzon appointed lawyer Danilo Pabalinas of the PAO to defend Ayalin.
Ayalin has been accused of killing four village officials, including a youth council chairwoman and injured three others, inside the session hall.The fatalities were 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 treasurer Lenny Llorca.
The fugitive was apprehended on May 15 in Iba town in Zambales. He is now detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Male Dormitory at Barangay Taculing in Bacolod City. — (FREEMAN)