Political leader slain
MOTIVE PLAIN ROBBERY -- PNP

An alleged political leader of businessman Frank Nazareno who is reportedly planning to run for mayor in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, was robbed and killed Wednesday night in Sitio Tibobong, Brgy. Quentin Remo of the town.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, police provincial director, however, denied reports yesterday that the slay of Nenita Juanitez, 33, is related to politics, saying it was a plain robbery. Franco said the suspect identified as Allan Escomo, a nephew of the victim, was arrested yesterday by the police and barangay officials in Brgy. Sikatuna, Isabela.

Initial police investigations show that Escomo struck his aunt in the head with a hard object, that caused her death, and took an estimated P4,000 in cash from her.

Follow-up operations conducted by the police led to the arrest of Escomo in Isabela, and the recovery of P1,350 in cash, a 10-inch knife and other personal belongings.

Franco said Escomo, who is now locked up in jail, has a pending arrest warrant for frustrated murder issued by Judge Fernando Elumba dated Oct. 16, 2006.*GPB

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Search widened to
capture wanted mayor
AKLAN BROADCASTER'S SLAY

ILOILO CITY -- The Philippine National Police has widened its search for a town mayor of Aklan wanted for the murder of broadcaster Herson "Boy" Hinolan after investigators received reports the suspect has slipped out of Panay Island.

Supt. Renato Gumban, regional chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said search teams have been sent to other islands to arrest Mayor Alfredo Arcenio of Lezo town, Aklan.

"We believe he is no longer in Panay (but) in another island," Gumban said.

Gumban said they have difficulty locating and arresting Arcenio because he has many supporters and is influential.

Arcenio, a former soldier, has eluded arrest since he went into hiding after the Kalibo Regional Trial Court issued a warrant for his arrest on September 7, 2006. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said a hold-departure order has been issued against Arcenio. He said they have received reports that he is hiding in Mindanao.

Gumban said they have proposed to the PNP national headquarters the putting up of a P300,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Arcenio.

Witnesses have claimed that Arcenio was the lone gunman who repeatedly shot Hinolan on Nov. 13, 2004, while the broadcaster was urinating near a carnival in the capital town of Kalibo. The gunman fled on board a motorcycle driven by another suspect.

Hinolan died two days later at a hospital while being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. He was the station manager of dyIN Bombo Radyo in Kalibo and hosted the station's morning program "Bombohanay Bigtime".

Arcenio has repeatedly denied allegations that he was involved in Hinolan's murder. He claimed he was in Lezo, 8 kilometers west of Kalibo during the shooting.

The mayor was earlier charged with homicide but the regional state prosecutor upgraded the charge to murder after it re-investigated the case.

Hinolan was among the 86 journalists murdered since 1986 and the 49th since President Macapagal-Arroyo came to power in 2001, according to a tally of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.*NPB

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