By CYRUS M. GARDE
BACOLOD City — Murder suspect Noel Ayalin said his arrest would give him a much-needed respite. And he is welcoming it with open arms.
Now facing nine cases for direct assault with murder, frustrated murder and attempted homicide, one of the Top 20 most wanted persons in Western Visayas said he wanted his cases solved fast so he could rest.
Ayalin allegedly killed four barangay officials of Kapitan Ramon, Silay City, and wounded several others in a shooting rampage on March 6, 2011. He is a former barangay captain of Kapitan Ramon.
Ayalin first refused to be interviewed but later spoke with select news media reporters on one condition: no questions about how the crime happened.
Ayalin said he is in deep remorse. While he cannot keep the victims’ families from getting angry with him, he asked for understanding.
He said he would not have resorted to shooting if he was not shot first. He did not elaborate.
Supt. Jacob Crisostomo, Silay police chief, told about Ayalin’s fugitive life after the crime on March 6, 2011.
Crisostomo said Ayalin left his motorcycle and firearm along Imbang River in Brgy. E. Lopez, Silay, and fled. He wanted to run to his mother’s relatives in Salvador Benedicto but did not, considering that his victims also had relatives in the town.
Crisostomo said Ayalin spent a night in an abandoned building in Brgy. Bata here and took a roll-on, roll-off vessel bound for Dumangas, Iloilo, on March 8, 2011.
He rode a bus bound for Brgy. Caticlan, Malay, Aklan, which coursed through Mindoro, and then reached Batangas. He then proceeded to Iba, Zambales, where his wife has a cousin.
Ayalin tended buko juice during his entire time in hiding until his arrest on Thursday last week, said Crisostomo.
After he was arrested, Ayalin was taken to Negros Occidental two days later and detained in Cell No. 3 of Silay City police station under maximum security.
City policemen and Regional Public Safety Battalion personnel based in Brgy. Bagtic, also in Silay, were guarding him.
Ayalin also asked for a priest so he could confess his sins.
He was not taken to court yesterday; only his arrest warrant was returned to Regional Trial Court Branch 69.
His family asked that he be detained in either the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility here or the Provincial Jail in Brgy. Abuanan, Bago City, for his safety. Ultimately, Ayalin said, he wanted to stay in the National Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City./PN
