Fugitive’s 17-year run finally ends

A robbery and double homicide suspect’s 17-year run from the law ended last Oct. 3.

Rodrigo Ybañez, also known as Jimmy Ybañez was finally served a warrant of arrest last Thursday for allegedly robbing and then killing Manuel Javierto and son Jimmy Javierto in barangay Atabay in Ayungon town, Negros Oriental on April 5, 1996.

Joint teams from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Tagum City Police Office arrested Ybañez in a public market in barangay Magugpo West, Tagum City in Davao del Norte on the strength of the arrest warrant issued by Dumaguete City Regional Trial Court branch 31 Judge Rogelio Catampatan.

Ybañez and a certain Aledio Lerio Baja, alias Juniboy allegedly robbed the couple Manuel and Marita Javierto.

Manuel and Jimmy Javierto died when they resisted the robbery.

Mandate

CIDG-7 chief Ritchie Posadas said that since he assumed office in August, he ordered his men to check all warrant of arrests of wanted persons in Central Visayas as it is one of the mandates of the unit to run after wanted persons.

“This is the mandate of CIDG to run after wanted persons”, Posadas told reporters.

The Department of Interior and Local Government has placed a P100,000 bounty for the arrest of Ybañez.

The CIDG brought Ybañez, also ranked as the 4th most wanted person in the Central Visayas to Cebu City yesterday before handing him over to the Dumaguete City RTC.

CIDG-7 sent a team to Tagum City after they received a tip that Ybañez was seen in Tagum City.

Warning

Ybañez’s arrest according to Posadas is a warning to criminals that government is serious in going after criminals who run away from the law.

Ybanez denied accusation that he was hiding in Tagum City.

“Wa man ko molayas, tua lang ko didto nanginabuhi (I did not escape, I was just there because my livelihood is there.”, said the suspect who was a former pastor of a religious denomination. He was reportedly expelled from his religious group after charges were filed against him.

He also denied knowing the victims. /Chito O. Aragon, Correspondent