‘SPARE OUR LIVES, WE ARE FAMILY’

Guarded by heavily-armed police officers, Dennis Cartagena arrives at the Iloilo domestic port Thursday morning. (FAA photo)

Jett Rojas: Stop it Nonoy Etik!

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

ILOILO provincial board member Jett Rojas, cousin of slain vice mayor Ramon Rojas of Ajuy, Iloilo, virtually pleaded for his life as he confirmed the identity of the mastermind of the sensational murder case.

Without batting an eyelash, board member Rojas entreated his cousin Vicente “Etik” Espinosa to stop the alleged plans to assassinate their family members.

BM Rojas said Dennis Cartagena, one of the alleged gunmen who killed the vice mayor, admitted to him that it was Espinosa who ordered the hit.

Cartagena requested to talk to board member Rojas upon arriving at the provincial capitol yesterday morning.

The board member said he was able to talk to Cartagena for 30 minutes to find out the details of the plot.

“Cartagena confirmed that the mastermind was Vicente “Etik” alias Bulldog Espinosa of Brgy. Lanjagan, Ajuy. This means a lot to the Rojas family to hear that it was Etik Espinosa who ordered them to kill vice mayor Rojas,” the board member said.

Cartagena is believed Cartagena is believed to be the driver of the motorcycle used in the assassination. Edgar Cordero, who was shot to death in Butuan City last week, was tagged as Rojas’s triggerman.

The board member representing the fifth district also discovered the alleged plans of Espinosa to liquidate him, Ajuy Mayor Juancho Alvarez and town councilor Pepe Baterna.

“That confirmed the intelligence report we got that there are more targets. They already got the vice mayor but they were also planning to kill me, the mayor and Councilor Baterna. Their focus was on me and Mayor Alvarez because Baterna was a ‘minimal’ target. Even before, we believe 99.9 percent that Espinosa was the mastermind,” he said.

Rojas said Espinosa should abort his plans “for the sake of our children.”

“We appeal to our cousin, Nonoy Etik, why do you want to kill us? We have our children who love us. We hope that he will discontinue that because he also has his own children and we are cousins. We ask his parents and siblings to convince Etik not to pursue the (plot) because our family will be affected,” board member Rojas said.

Rojas said Cartagena was thankful to survive the attack on their lives in Butuan City “because he believes that he still has a purpose.”

“That was divine intervention. Cartagena promised to tell everything he knows after surviving the attack,” the board member said.

Board member Rojas said politics or personal grudges could be the reason behind the plot on their lives.

“But we cousins are very close to each other. The slain vice mayor even goes to occasions in Nonoy Etik’s house. Before the election (May 2007), I was able to talk to Etik,” Rojas said.

BUTUAN INCIDENT

Councilor Baterna said Cartagena tagged Lindsay “Baby” Buenavista as one of the gunmen who shot him and Cordero at Brgy. Mahay, Butuan City Friday last week.

Cordero died in the shooting while Cartagena survived.

Buenavista was also tagged in the Rojas slay case but he was exonerated by the provincial prosecutors office for lack of evidence.

Baterna said Buenavista’s uncle, Jose Bajade, trapped them into the ambush by inviting them to a birthday party in Butuan.

Before they went down to the city, which is some 15 kilometers from Brgy. Don Francisco where they hid, Bajade took Cordero’s caliber .38 revolver. Bajade drove the motorcycle to Butuan City.

Upon reaching Brgy. Mahay, Bajade stopped to urinate. Then the shots rang and Cordero fell to the ground mortally wounded.

Cartagena was able to flee and sought the help of a group of men drinking liquor. He said he saw Buenavista riding on Bajade’s motorcycle.

“Bajade and Buenavista planned to kill them. They were led to the trap. Maybe Bajade also shot the two using Cordero’s revolver,” Baterna said.

CARTAGENA MAY TURN STATE WITNESS

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

WILL Dennis “Totong” Cartagena, one of the suspects in the murder of vice mayor Ramon Rojas of Ajuy, Iloilo, turn state witness after revealing what he personally knew about the assassination?

Only the Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor’s Office (IPPO) can determine, depending on his participation, if Cartagena is qualified to become a witness after tagging Vicente “Etik” Espinosa as the alleged brains of Rojas’ death.

Cartagena is believed to be the driver of the motorcycle used in the assassination. Edgar Cordero, who was shot to death in Butuan City last week, was tagged as the triggerman.

Public Attorneys Office-6 assistant regional director Jose Edmund Guillen, whom Cartagena chose as legal counsel, said the police can still file another case against Espinosa which will include Cartagena’s statement.

“The principle of double jeopardy applies to cases that were dismissed by the courts. But if the case was dismissed by the prosecutors for lack of probable cause, new charges can be filed if there is new body of evidence,” Guillen said.

The Iloilo Provincial Police Office earlier accused Espinosa and Lindsey “Baby” Buenavista of hatching Rojas’s assassination. But the provincial prosecutor dismissed the charges last month for lack of evidence.

But the IPPO said fresh charges can be lodged against Espinosa and Buenavista if there is new “quantum of evidence.”

Guillen said it is up to the prosecution whether to make Cartagena a state witness.

“At the time he issues a statement, he is a suspect because he is part of the alleged crime. It really depends on the prosecution whether to make him a witness during the trial,” Guillen added.

SUSPECT FEARS FOR HIS LIFE

Cartagena arrived past 9am Thursday from Butuan City, where he and alleged triggerman Edgar Cordero hid for more than a month, along with a team of heavily-armed police officers.

Wearing a light brown sweater, maong pants, sneakers and a bullet proof vest, Cartagena sported a fearful grimace as he alighted from the St. Joseph the Worker ship of Negros Navigation.

Members of the Iloilo Provincial Police Office special weapons and tactics team turned their gaze around the Iloilo domestic port after receiving reports that Cartagena will be assassinated upon reaching Iloilo.

Cartagena was whisked inside a black AUV and transported to the Iloilo provincial capitol where he was presented to the media and later underwent deposition before Police Regional Office-6 legal officer Aaron Lirazan.

The Rojas slay suspect was lodged in the pantry of the Governor’s Office where he rested after their trip from Cagayan de Oro.

A commotion broke out when Atty. Christopher Espera insisted that he accompany Cartagena at the Capitol.

A visibly irate Senior Supt. Ricardo dela Paz, Iloilo provincial police director, let Cartagena and Espera face each other to determine if the former indeed hired the lawyer’s services.

“I don’t know him. I did not hire him,” Cartagena said before the media and Capitol officials.

Espera, a junior associate of Atty. Edeljulio Romero who defended Espinosa, said he was hired by a relative of Cartagena whom he did not identify citing lawyer-client relationship.

“While we were in Butuan, Cartagena was already using my services by running some errands for him and his live-in partner. But things suddenly changed when the police arrived,” Espera said.

Espera said he will not anymore help Cartagena after disowning him.

As of this writing, Cartagena is still undergoing deposition at the Provincial Legal Office.

Ajuy Councilor Pepe Baterna and provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada, who observed Cartagena’s investigation, said the suspect gave every detail of the Rojas slay case.

“He did mention Espinosa as the one who ordered the hit. He remembered the dates and time of their meetings and events. He even corrects Atty. Lirazan who was encoding his statements,” Baterna said.

Mejorada said Cartagena gave his statements voluntarily through question and answer mode.