Suspected hitman wants to avenge uncle’s death

Roland Salundaguit Arita admitted he was a hitman who had killed two men, one of whom was the killer of his uncle. He said he did not regret what he did.

The 38-year-old resident of Barangay Adlaon, Cebu City said he relished the killings as he wanted to help the police weed out the bad guys.

“Kanang pagpatay angkonon ko na,” he said. “Gusto kong magmahay pero mga daotan, salbahes man sila.”

Arita, a former junkie, said some of his neighbors reported to him names of criminals and he placed them on surveillance before killing them. He has a scar on his neck that was caused by a gunshot in 2010.

“Kaugalingong kuwarta nako ang gasto ana, tabang sa mga tawo nga nanginahanglan (I spend my own money on these operations for people who need them),” he said.

Arita admitted killing Eric Pedrosa Manzo, 30, in Mandaue City last March 22 and Florencio Clares Layson, 55 last Feb. 17. They were former convicts.

He claimed that Layson was the one who killed his uncle last year. He started to self-train in shooting after the incident to seek revenge.

Arita later took back his statement and said that he only killed two men, when pressed with questions.

He was caught in Barangay Pulangbato, Cebu City last Sunday by operatives of Mandaue City Police Office Station 1 led by Chief Insp. Aldrin Villacampa.

Several firearms, including a high-powered M14 rifle loaded with seven bullets, were seized from Arita.

The other evidences seized were a .45 pistol, two magazines for a .45 pistol loaded with three bullets each, three magazines for KG9 submachine pistol, eight bullets of .357 revolver, 11 bullets of .380 pistol, a pack containing empty shells, a black bonnet, gloves, jacket and a bag.

Arita said he did not resist arrest because he is not an enemy of the police.

He had been arrested for violating Presidential Decree 1602 (illegal gambling) in 2014 and 2016, but posted bail.

Last Saturday, police also arrested a 17-year-old boy and his 18-yearold companion hours after they shot dead Niño Tañajura, a former inmate of the Cebu City Jail, in Barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City.

The suspects admitted receiving P45,000 from a drug lord for the assassination.

The suspects had reportedly killed six persons in the past, all of whom faced drug-related cases.

Senior Supt. Joel Doria, Cebu City Police Office director, said the arrests proved that some of the drive-by shootings were perpetrated by drug groups, not government-backed vigilantes.

He received a report that a big-time drug personality, who is based outside Cebu, continued to contact his underlings and give instructions on who to kill.

“The drug groups have their own internal cleansing,” said Doria, adding that the hitmen studied their targets.

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III wants the police to form a task force devoted to solve the unsolved killings.

Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Public Information Chief Reyman Tolentin, for his part, suggested that there should be a meeting between Davide and PRO 7 Director Robert Quenery.

Doria said he has directed the 11 police station chiefs to conduct regular checkpoints and mobile patrols in the city to prevent driveby shootings.