Cavite cops nab suspect in reporter’s slay

By: Julliane Love De Jesus - 10 years ago

MANILA, Philippines–The police in Cavite on Tuesday said they have arrested one of the two suspects in the killing of reporter Rubylita Garcia.

Aaron Cruz was arrested by the Cavite City police on Tuesday afternoon–a day after the Philippine National Police released the artist’s sketch of Garcia’s killers.

Slain journalist Rubylita GarciaShe was gunned down in full view of her 10-year-old granddaughter and a relative at her home in Bacoor City, Cavite province, early Sunday.Senior Superintendent Joselito Esquivel Jr. said in a radio report that 80-percent of the facial composition of the suspect matched Cruz. On Monday, the Philippine National Police released the artist’s sketch o‎f the gunman who shot Garcia to death at her home in Bacoor, Cavite.

A witness during the incident described the gunman as male, more or less 30 years old, six feet in height, of medium build, fair complexion and has tattoo in his arms.

As of posting, the police are still waiting for the relatives to identify whether Cruz was one of the gunmen.‎

Garcia, 52, became the latest victim of attacks on journalists. If her death is work-related, she will be the 20th journalist killed in the line of duty under the Aquino administration and the 160th since 1986, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).

Before she died from her gunshot wounds, Garcia said she thought Supt. Conrado Villanueva, the police chief of Tanza town, could have ordered the attack on her house on Sunday morning, her son said on Monday.

Villanueva has been asked to step aside beginning Monday, said Senior Supt. Joselito Esquivel, the Cavite police director. “He was administratively relieved, although he is not a suspect,” Esquivel said in a phone interview.