DRUG BUST LEADS TO SOLIMA CASE SUSPECT
POLICE ARREST 1 MAN, QUESTION 2 BROTHERS
Seventeen hours after Atty. Salvador Solima and his wife Verose were shot inside their home, authorities have arrested the alleged gunman and placed in custody two brothers as persons of interest.
Ricarte “Bluefox” del Corro, 32, was nabbed during a drug bust by elements of Police Station 10 on Tres De Abril St., Barangay Labangon, Cebu City yesterday morning, while police picked up Alberto “Junjun” and Alvin Baluyos.
According to Supt. Ryan Devaras, chief of the Investigation and Detection Management Branch, witnesses pointed to del Corro as the one who shot and killed the lawyer and Verose, together with another gunman, who is still at large.
Verose remains in critical condition.
Devaras said they are establishing whether the Baluyos brothers served as lookouts during the attack, as Verose allegedly owed them almost P7.5 million for a property she bought from them on B. Aranas St. in Barangay Guadalupe in 2016.
“The attorney received threats from them,” Devaras added.
Devaras said that del Corro and Alberto’s connection raised questions that needed further investigation. Verose’s friend, one of the witnesses, said that del Corro and the other gunman posed as clients asking for legal assistance in a drug case.
“After they agreed on the acceptance fee, the attorney stood up and approached his daughter. Both gunmen also stood up and
shot the attorney in the head, then the chest,” she said.
She said that she pleaded with them, while they picked up the empty shells of their spent bullets.
“Ang nagpusil ni Sir mao to sila’y kuyog-kuyog ni Baluyos sa una.(The man who shot Solima used to accompany Alberto),” she said.
She said that Aberto once stayed in the house and often caused trouble.
Del Corro and the Baluyoses denied the allegations.
However, Alberto, who once served 10 years in jail for robbery with homicide, and del Corro admitted that they are close friends.
“We’re friends, but I don’t know why I got involved in this when I didn’t even know attorney. I was with my friend looking for a cellphone to buy when that (shooting) happened,” del Corro said.
Shabu worth P17,000 and a .38 firearm were seized from him.
As for Alberto, he said that he and his brother couldn’t be considered as lookouts since they go to Solima’s house every week to collect. “Tagaan man mig P500, usahay P150 sa P7.5 million namo, data-datahan raman gud mi gud (Sometimes, they give us P500, sometimes P150 for the P7.5 million they owe us),” he said.
He said that when the shooting happened, he and his brother Alvin were already home.
Charges for murder and frustrated murder will be filed against del Corro.
Solima’s colleagues condemned his shooting as “an act of pure evil,” and urged authorities to quickly arrest the perpetrators and give justice to the surviving family members.
“(This is) a total disrespect to the person, his family, and his home. This should not be! This should end,” said Atty. Mundlyn Misal-Martin, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu chapter.
Martin said that Solima was a respected prosecutor before he ventured into private practice.
“He (Solima) was known to be accommodating to his clients. He also was friendly to all new lawyers and helped them in court like he did to me,” said Martin.
Solima, though, was dismissed from service in 1998 over charges of gross misconduct/grave abuse of authority and gross ignorance of the rules on inquest.
Martin also voiced her frustration over what seemed to be a “new norm” in killing lawyers.
“When will this end? When will people understand that killing/hurting another lawyer is not the ‘real justice’ they think they deserve?” said Martin.
“What saddens me is that the crime actually transpired in his house. Our homes are supposedly our haven and place where we supposedly feel the safest. And yet such was violated by men without conscience,” said Atty. Mae Elaine Bathan.
“We have almost lost count of the number deaths of our brother lawyers and can only count the ones that have actually been solved. I hope their deaths will find justice through the efforts of our law enforcers,” she said.
Atty. Edgar Gica, president of the Cebu Lawyers for Unity and Brotherhood Inc., also condemned Solima’s killing.
“We call upon the agencies of our government charged with the maintenance and preservation of our peace and order to do everything in their power to put an end to this dastardly act of violence on humanity and disrespect to the sanctity of our homes and provide security to each and everyone of us all the time in our community,” he said.
Atty. Amando Virgil Ligutan said that lawyers like Solima should not be faulted for doing what are supposed to do: give everyone his or her day in court.
“We call on the authorities to arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of this crime. May this be the last of any killing of our colleagues in the legal profession,” he said.
Atty. Carlo Fortuna, who is also vice mayor of Mandaue City, said he was “appalled and shocked” by the attack and is gravely concerned for everyone’s safety.
We call upon the agencies of our government... to do everything in their power to put an end to this dastardly act of violence on humanity... and provide security to each and everyone of us all the time in our community
ATTY. EDGAR GICA
President of the Cebu Lawyers for Unity and Brotherhood Inc.