CYRUS M. GARDE
BACOLOD City — Noel Ayalin, one of the most wanted persons in Western Visayas who had been hiding for three years, was arrested in Iba, Zambales, yesterday.
Combined forces of the Nueva Ecija police office and the Iba police station collared Ayalin, former barangay captain of Kapitan Ramon, Silay City, Negros Occidental, at about 4 p.m.
Ayalin, 51, had been wanted for shooting village officials in Kapitan Ramon, killing four and wounding three others, on March 6, 2011.
Also known as “Kalbo,” he was one of the Top 20 most wanted persons in Western Visayas and one of the
Top 10 most wanted persons in Negros Occidental.
All law enforcement agencies, including the National Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal
Investigation and Detection Group, had been on alert for his presence.
A monetary reward for his arrest had been raised — from P250,000, it was later increased by Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and the Philippine National Police to P500,000, and, just recently, it was again raised to P800,000.
Ayalin had been disgruntled over the non-release of his terminal leave pay pending his proper accounting of barangay funds during his incumbency.
In the morning of March 6, 2011, Ayalin stormed into the barangay hall where incumbent officials were about to start a session and opened fire using a caliber .45 pistol.
Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, then police provincial director, identified the fatalities as kagawads (village councilmen) Pedrito Orocio, 52; Luzviminda Cotamen, 45; Freddie Juno, 58; and Sangguniang Kabataan president Aimee Occeña, 16.
Orocio succumbed to gunshot wounds in the head and thigh, while Juno died of gunshot wounds in the neck, shoulder and thigh. Cotamen and Occena both perished due to a lone gunshot wound in their heads.
All four were taken to the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City but were declared dead on arrival. Police said the victims have pleaded for their lives.
Injured were barangay captain Ramon Celebre, kagawad Salvacion Corugda and treasurer Lenny Llorca.
They sustained gunshot wounds in various parts of their bodies.
Noli Flores, Ayalin’s half-brother and a kagawad, managed to escape.
Kagawad Noel Istanislao and the barangay secretary, sent by Celebre to fetch documents, were not around at the time of the shooting.
Ayalin kept his firearm inside his brown jacket, hiding it from the barangay officials’ sight.
After the incident, Ayalin fled onboard a red Honda motorcycle toward the Imbang River in Hacienda Culahao, Brgy. E. Lopez, Silay City. He had been in hiding since, changing hideouts time and again, until his arrest yesterday.
Ayalin was set to be transferred to this capital city today after proper documentation by the arresting policemen./PN
