Another former police officer tagged in the kidnapping and killing of Eleuterio Salabas, Maximo Lomoljo, and Ricardo Suganob, was arrested by his former classmate and law enforcer in Jaro, Iloilo City , yesterday, Aksyon Radyo Bacolod reported.

SPO2 Freddie Natividad was arrested by his former classmate, identified only as PO3 Litoy Serria, after he greeted the latter a “Merry Christmas”, when he passed by a house in Jaro and saw him at about 6 p.m. yesterday, the report said.

Natividad is the second former police officer tagged in the killing of Salabas, Lomoljo, and Suganob in 2003, to be apprehended. Former Chief Inspector Clarence Dongail was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation operatives at a mall in Manila on November 14.

Aksyon Radyo said that Serria, realizing that Natividad has a standing arrest warrant, invited his former classmate to the Jaro police station where the ex-law enforcer explained that the Office of the President has already ordered a reinvestigation of their case, thus voiding the documents against them.

Recently, the Office of the President had issued a directive, ordering the provincial prosecutor of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, to conduct a re-investigation of the case but the Guihulngan Regional Trial Court has not recalled the arrest warrants against them yet.

The Jaro police, however, detained Natividad when it managed to get a copy of the arrest warrant from Aksyon Radyo Iloilo, the Bacolod radio station said.

Jaro police chief, Senior Inspector Jerry Impizo, told Aksyon Radyo Iloilo that Natividad did not resist arrest, but refused to give any comment.

Salabas' spouse, Elizabeth, said that she thanks the Iloilo police “for being sincere to the oath they have taken by bringing to the fold of law those who can help justice take its course. Whether they are guilty or not, each will be given the chance to be heard and defend himself.”

“I hope Col. (Ronilo) Quebrar and (Negros Occidental) Provincial Police director, (Rosendo Franco) can do their share,” Salabas said in a text message sent to the STAR last night.

Quebrar, however, said they have not arrested the wanted former police officers because they no longer stay in Bacolod .

He said that he welcomes the development and added that if the other accused will be seen here in the city, they will also be arrested.

Franco, meanwhile, said they have been doing their share in the search for the wanted police officers, adding that they have even furnished copies of their photos to different police stations in the province and had advised the public to immediately report any information about them.

He added that the wanted ex-police officers also know that the NOPPO and the BCPO are “very interested” in apprehending them.

Twelve ex-police officers, including former BCPO chiefs George Bajelot and Vicente Ponteras are still the subject of a nationwide manhunt for the charge of kidnapping with murder against them.

Other accused former police officers are Inspector Jonathan Lorilla, Bonifer Gotas, SPO4 Jimmy Fortaleza, SPO1 Nelson Grijaldo, PO2's Allen Winston Hulleza, Nelson Belandres, Ruel Villacanas, and PO1 Bernardo Cimatu.

Businessman Manolo Escalante, Ronnie Herera, Carlo de los Santos alias “Caloy,” Mamerto, Elma, and Nelson, all surnamed Cañete, Jude Montilla, and Ramonito Estanislao, who are also at-large, are also included in the charges.*PP

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