RCBC massacre suspect arrested for new violation

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna – A prime suspect in the grisly 2008 Laguna bank heist that left 10 persons dead was again arrested in Tanauan City, Batangas, the police said Friday.

Jake Javier, 26, who was out on bail in the bank robbery case, was arrested for having in his possession an unlicensed .45 caliber gun at a police checkpoint in Barangay (village) Darasa at around 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Superintendent Manuel Manalo, Tanauan police chief, said Javier was on board a motorcycle when he was accosted by police.

Manalo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that a complaint for illegal possession of the firearm has been filed against Javier at the city prosecutor’s office in Tanauan.

Nine persons were killed on the spot during the robbery at the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. in Cabuyao in May 16, 2008.  A tenth victim died two days later. They were all shot in the head.

Javier’s father, Vivencio, is one of four men tagged as responsible for the RCBC robbery-massacre. The four were slain in two alleged shootouts with police in Barangay Balokbok, also in Tanauan City less than a week after the killings.

However, the Commission on Human Rights, then under Leila de Lima, now justice secretary, said the Balokbok incident was not a shootout.

The CHR temporarily took custody of the younger Javier, who sought help from the agency for fear he would killed by policemen.

Later in 2008, he was turned over to the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame after the regional trial court in Biñan, Laguna issued a warrant for his arrest.

“He is [currently] out on bail. I don’t have here a copy of the release order yet but it could be just recently because he returned here [in Tanauan City] sometime in August [2011],” Manalo said.