You are currently browsing the daily archive for September 5th, 2008.
REVELATION Dennis “Totong” Cartagena subscribes to his sworn affidavit where he tagged Vicente “Etik” Espinosa as the one who ordered vice mayor Ramon Rojas’s assassination. (FAA photo)
Cartagena reveals all in 6-page affidavit
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
“JUSTICE is all I want.”
With these words, Dennis “Totong” Cartagena, one of the suspects in the murder of Ajuy vice mayor Ramon Rojas, spilled everything he knew about the case.
Around 8pm Thursday, Cartagena swore by his extrajudicial confession before Iloilo prosecutor Nora Causing-Española.
It took Cartagena more or less seven hours to narrate the conspiracy leading to Rojas’s assassination in the morning of May 22, 2008 at Brgy. Central, Ajuy.
Chief Insp. Aaron Lirazan, Police Regional Office (PRO-6) legal officer, queried Cartagena who was assisted by his counsel Jose Edmund Guillen, assistant regional director of the Public Attorneys Office.
The deposition was conducted in the conference room of the Provincial Legal Office at the Iloilo provincial capitol.
“I feel relieved. I know I will not live long, although I’m not hoping for it, but I revealed the truth to bring justice to vice mayor Rojas’s death. With this, I hope that the people of Ajuy will be kinder to me despite what we did,” Cartagena said.
Cartagena was tagged as the driver of the black motorcycle used in Rojas’ assassination. Suspected robber Edgar Cordero, who died in a shooting incident in Butuan City last week, was the alleged triggerman.
Cartagena said the case could have reached a dead end if not for what happened in Butuan City.
“We dug this hole and covered it. But somebody else opened the hole again. Now, there is no stopping the stench from going out,” he added before lawyers, mediamen and armed police officers.
In his 6-page affidavit written in Hiligaynon, Cartagena said they shot Rojas to death “because we were paid by Vicente ‘Etik’ Espinosa alias ‘Bulldog’ of Brgy. Lanjagan, Ajuy, Iloilo.”
Cartagena said he was a former bodyguard of Espinosa from April to May 2007 elections along with Rey Peña, Lindsey Buenavista and a certain Rey.
Right after the May 2007 elections, Cartagena said Espinosa has been plotting to kill Rojas.
Aside from the vice mayor, the assassination plot also included provincial board member Jett Rojas, Ajuy Mayor Juancho Alvarez, Councilors Pepe Dumayao and Pepe Baterna and Punong Barangay Ronnie “Calis” Bañas.
The plot was finalized April 2008 when Buenavista presented Cartagena to Espinosa at the latter’s house in Brgy. Lanjagan.
“We met Vicente ‘Etik’ Espinosa and told me and Buenavista that we will kill vice mayor Ramon Rojas and he gave us P8,000 for our allowance and surveillance expenses,” Cartagena said.
For several days, Cartagena and Cordero monitored Rojas’s movements using a black Honda XRM motorcycle owned by a certain Pastor Condino of Banate, Iloilo.
The hit happened around 5:30am of May 22 while Rojas was jogging on the highway at Brgy. Central.
“When we reached Sitio Casamata which is sparsely populated, we drove near vice mayor Rojas and Edgar Cordero quickly shot him twice. Cordero then alighted from the motorcycle then chased and shot Rojas who was running towards the mahogany plantation. Then I saw Rojas fall to the ground but Cordero went near and repeatedly shot him,” Cartagena said.
The duo then fled to Brgy. Badiangan, Ajuy where they left the motorcycle and proceeded to Buenavista’s house at Brgy. San Fernando, Barotac Viejo. They later learned from the radio that Rojas was dead.
The following day, May 23 at around 7am, Buenavista brought Cartagena and Cordero to Espinosa’s house at Ledesco Village, LaPaz, Iloilo to get P50,000.
Cartagena said Buenavista received the money from Espinosa before going to the Muelle Loney port to buy ship tickets to Bacolod City. But when they arrived at the pier, Espinosa’s driver identified only as Pakit handed the tickets to Buenavista.
Pakit then invited them to his house where Espinosa called Buenavista’s cellphone informing them that another P100,000 will be given to them. They returned to Espinosa’s house with Buenavista receiving the money.
Pakit then brought the trio back to the Muelle Loney port where they divided the P100,000 cash. Cartagena said he only got P30,000.
From Iloilo, they proceeded to Bacolod City where they rode a bus bound for Cebu. From Cebu, they boarded a Cokaliong ship to Surigao City.
Buenavista then brought Cartagena and Cordero to his uncle Joe Bahadi in Dinagat Island before returning to Iloilo.
Bahadi brought the two suspects to Butuan City where Cordero was shot dead allegedly by Buenavista.
The legal counsels of Espinosa declined to issue comment on Cartagena’s revelations saying they will wait for an official copy of the affidavit.
Cartagena is now in the custody of the Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) in an undisclosed safehouse along with his live-in-partner and their 1-month-old baby.
IPPO director Ricardo dela Paz said they are trying to figure out security arrangements for Cartagena and his family.
Dela Paz also assured that Ajuy will remain peaceful despite the statements of Cartagena.
“We will not allow violence to reign over the town,” he said.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE intelligence chief of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) and a “confidential agent” are accused of allegedly attempting to kill two persons last month in General Luna Street, Iloilo City proper.
Federico Dolar of Brgy. East Timawa, Molo and Roy Balsote of Brgy. Taal, Molo said Chief Insp. Musa Amiyong tried to liquidate them early morning of August 17 near the flyover along General Luna Street.
Dolar and Balsote also accused media barker-turned-confidential asset Niel “Lito” Jimena as Amiyong’s accomplice.
The duo detailed their accusation in their separate counter-affidavits to the illegal possession of firearms case Amiyong filed against them.
The Daily Guardian has obtained copies of the affidavits which Balsote and Dolar will subscribe before Prosecutor Dominador Borda Jr. Monday.
Lawyer Cornelio Panes said they will sue Amiyong and Jimena for frustrated murder charges before the Iloilo City Prosecutor’s Office next week.
Balsote and Dolar were wounded in the August 17 incident after Amiyong shot them with a caliber .45 pistol.
Amiyong had said he and Jimena were trying to bust the duo for selling illegal drugs. The ICPO officer and Jimena also claimed that the duo first fired at them.
Amiyong accused Balsote and Dolar of illegal possession of firearms after allegedly recovering a caliber .38 revolver from the latter.
But Balsote and Dolar said Amiyong’s claim “is nothing but a big lie.”
“I was never involved in any kind of illegal transaction involving drugs or any of that kind of activity. If there was any transaction that night it was about the ‘business’ which I agreed to handle for Lito Jimena and PCI Amiyong, which according to them, was at the instance of their benefactor who is a bidder-contractor,” Dolar said in his counter-affidavit.
The “business” Dolar was referring to was the grenade-throwing incident at the floodway project site in Brgy. Buhang, Jaro last month. Aside from the “Buhang job”, Dolar said Jimena and Amiyong have been sending him to some errands, which oftentimes were illegal.
“In fact sometime in the month of May 2008, on or about May 10, Lito Jimena proposed that I would assassinate someone for a fee, but I refused,” Dolar said.
BUHANG BOMBING
Dolar said sometime before August 16, Jimena and Amiyong asked him to throw the grenade at the project site upon request of a contractor who lost in the bidding of the Iloilo City Flood Control Project.
However, Amiyong and Jimena did not name the losing contractor.
“For doing this job, the consideration for my services was P10,000 but if the task is a success, they will give me a bonus. It is, however, subject to the condition that there must be an explosion of the hand grenade,” Dolar said.
The plan to bomb the project was finalized August 13 with Jimena giving Dolar P600 for the grenade. But Dolar met difficulty buying a grenade for P600, thus Jimena and Amiyong provided the explosive.
Dolar threw the grenade but it did not explode. The Jaro police later recovered and detonated the explosive.
When Dolar collected his “fee”, Jimena reminded him of the agreement that there must be an explosion “to perfect the job.”
“In order that I will be paid, I purchased a ‘kamara’ and planted it at Brgy. Buhang, Jaro. This time, there was an explosion in order to satisfy the demand of Lito Jimena and PCI Amiyong,” he said.
FLYOVER INCIDENT
On August 16, Dolar sent a text message to Jimena asking for the payment. Jimena replied that Amiyong will pay in check but Dolar said it would be difficult because there are no banks on Saturdays.
“When after some time I tried to ask him of my fee again, he (Jimena) told me that they were still at the Coastal Road. At that time I already sensed that Lito Jimena was trying to avoid me,” Dolar said.
But the instructions never came, prompting Dolar to ask Balsote to drive him to Andok’s Molo branch where Amiyong usually stays.
When they arrived at Caltex Molo, they saw Jimena refueling his motorcycle. Amiyong was talking to unidentified companions in Andoks.
Jimena later told them that the payoff will happen at Shelsyd along Diversion Road in Mandurriao. The duo followed Jimena via the San Rafael Road where the latter stopped on the road shoulder.
“Sensing that something might be wrong, I asked Roy Balsote to continue driving and when we passed by him, he casually told us that he ran out of gas. But I know that it was not true since we spotted him refueling at Caltex-Molo earlier that night,” Dolar said.
Instead of proceeding to Shelsyd, Dolar and Balsote proceeded to Calzada Bar also on Diversion Road where they saw Jimena and Amiyong pass by. The duo decided to go home.
After some time, Jimena sent a text message to Dolar telling him to proceed to Ferj Pharmacy in Molo. Dolar waited in the area but no Jimena showed up.
Then another text message from Jimena told Dolar to proceed to the flyover area near the University of the Philippines-Iloilo City campus.
When they met at the flyover, Jimena told Dolar that he has no money to pay the latter. In the middle of their conversation, a green colored car arrived.
“Then I saw PCI Amiyong shoot us with his firearm but I was able to avoid the bullet by a slim chance, grazing my right arm and piercing my shirt,” Dolar said.
Dolar ran towards Jollibee Molo with Jimena chasing him. Amiyong was chasing Balsote towards the same restaurant.
Dolar tried to elude Jimena by running around tricycles parked around Ted’s Batchoy restaurant but the latter fired two shots.
Jimena missed his target, giving Dolar the chance to run inside the batchoy restaurant and hide inside the comfort room.
Dolar said he tried sending text messages to ask for help but Amiyong was already tearing down the CR’s door, dragged him out and snatched his phone.
Balsote, on the other hand, was wounded by initial shots from Amiyong and ran towards Jollibee. He tried to hide among the plants but the police officer spotted him.
“But to my great surprise and shock, I felt something was pointed at my head while I was hiding behind some plants then I heard Amiyong utter ‘Ari ka man lang di gali nga gago ka! (You’re just hiding here, stupid!)’ while pointing his gun at my head,” Balsote said.
Balsote said parried Amiyong’s gun from his head, then it exploded.
“Amiyong pointed his gun again at my head but when he pulled the trigger his gun jammed. Using his firearm, PCI Amiyong knocked me out of consciousness,” Balsote said.
Amiyong did not respond to text messages asking for his comment and reaction to the duo’s affidavits while Jimena could not be located by this paper.
M/V Cotabato Princess of Sulpicio Lines is grounded at the Iloilo domestic port after ramming into the pier’s expansion project. (FAA)
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has ordered Sulpicio Lines, Inc. (SLI) to submit an explanation why one of its ships rammed into the extension pier of the Iloilo domestic port Thursday.
Department of Transportation and Communications undersecretary Ma. Elena Bautista, Marina in-charge, said she ordered Captain Virgilio Ilagan, skipper of M/V Cotabato Princess, to file an explanation on the incident.
Cotabato Princess, which sailed from Zamboanga City, rammed into the ongoing expansion project of the Iloilo domestic port 12:30pm Thursday for still unexplained reasons.
The expansion project is being undertaken by the Philippine Ports Authority with International Builders Corp. (IBC) as contractor.
The vessel plowed into 16 concrete beams and a pile driver owned by the IBC. The incident caused scratches on ship’s fore or front portion. The 49 crewmembers of the ship were unharmed.
The estimated damage on the construction equipment is more than P3 million.
As of 11am Friday, Ilagan has yet to submit a marine protest or official report with the Philippine Coast Guard Iloilo station to explain what happened.
Commander Eduardo Fabricante, PCG-Iloilo station chief, said they will wait for the marine protest before they can convene the board of marine inquiry which will investigate the incident.
Fabricante said the vessel might be grounded if it fails to prove its searworthiness.
PCG personnel familiar with the Iloilo-Guimaras channel said Cotabato Princess may have drifted to the project site due to strong water current.
“Maybe the captain lost control of the ship and failed to steer away from the port,” a Coast Guard personnel said.
Earlier, SLI’s M/V Princess of the Stars sank near Romblon Island claiming the lives of hundreds of passengers.
scrimgeour
Recent Comments