2 men wanted for murder in Leyte nabbed in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines—Two men wanted for hacking to death and beheading a man last year in Leyte have fallen into the hands of authorities in Metro Manila, the Philippine National Police said Tuesday.

Arrested were Rolando Lumacad, 46, a construction worker, and Rolando Villanueva, alias Cojim, 48, both natives of Sitio Naga, Barangay Tinag-an, Albuera, Leyte, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said.

In a statement, CIDG Director Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr. said the two were listed as the most wanted criminals in Albuera town until their capture last week by CIDG operatives.

The CIDG’s Detection and Special Operations Division chief, Senior Superintendent Alberto Ignatius D. Ferro, said the two were the primary suspects in the murder of Armado Velardo on September 4, 2010.

The victim was decapitated after he was hacked several times.

Ferro said civilian volunteers belonging to the CIDG’s so-called Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams alerted the agency to the whereabouts of Lumacad and Villanueva.

On October 5, CIDG operatives arrested Lumacad at about 4:30 p.m. in his residence in Phase 8, Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.

Lumacad later hinted to the CIDG the whereabouts of Villanueva, who was arrested the following day in his hiding place in Barangay Mabuhay, Tondo, Manila.

Ferro said the two had gone into hiding in Metro Manila upon learning that murder charges had been lodged against them at the Leyte Regional Trial Court for the killing of Velarde.

Investigators said they learned that Villanueva, who had a previous quarrel with the victim, had paid Lumacad and another suspect P8,000 to kill Velardo.

The two were arrested by virtue of two warrants of arrest issued by Judge Clinton Nuevo of the Regional Trial Court of Baybay, Leyte.