ILOILO City – After two years of hiding, a suspected member of a gun-for-hire group operating in northern Iloilo was arrested in Barangay Adcadarao, Ajuy, Iloilo.
Charged with two counts of murder, 32-year-old Richard Villanueva was collared by personnel of the Ajuy police station and Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) around 6:30 a.m. on July 25.
Judge Jose Mauricio Gomez of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 71 (Barotac Viejo, Iloilo) ordered the suspect’s arrest.
The operation was conducted following information that the suspect was hiding in his house, said Police Lieutenant Danilo Noca, Ajuy police chief.
Noca said Villanueva was the No. 3 most wanted person in their town and tagged a member of the Bagatnan guns-for-hire group.
“They have no records on robbery and illegal drugs because they focus on gun-for-hire operations. (Villanueva) is being hunted for more than two years along with their leader. In fact, his three other companions had already been arrested,” Noca told Panay News.
Noca refused to name the alleged leader as an operation is being carried out.
Police are also monitoring the group for the possibility of them hiring “new faces”.
“There are reports that their leader was hiding in the province of Capiz, Iloilo and even in Antique… We are now coordinating with other municipal police stations for his possible arrest. We are also using our intelligence personnel,” Noca added./PN
