Kagawad tagged in Munti neighbor’s killing
A village councilor in Muntinlupa City is being hunted by the police for allegedly shooting his neighbor dead on Wednesday morning. Dick Nuilan, a kagawad of Barangay Sucat, was tagged as the suspect in the killing of Arnel Aldave, a 41-year-old seaman who returned from work abroad last month. Case investigator SPO1 Ronaldo Pelagio quoted witnesses as saying that Nuilan and Aldave had a heated argument that morning. The victim’s mother, Lilia, said she last saw her son alive holding a knife as he rushed out of their house in Purok 6. Minutes later, she heard a gunshot and found her son slumped on the ground outside their home. Another neighbor later told police that he saw Nuilan running away with a pistol in his hand. The night before he was shot, Aldave posted a message on his Facebook account accusing an unnamed councilor of extortion. “Taga-Sucat ka kung alam mong may kagawad dito na ang sideline ay extortion. Hula-hula who. (You know you’re from Sucat if you’re aware of this councilor who engages in extortion as a sideline. Guess who),” the post read. Nuilan remained at large as of Friday.—DEXTER CABALZA
‘Slain’ barangay volunteer corrects news
A barangay volunteer in Mandaluyong City sought to correct news reports quoting the police which identified him as the man who was shot dead by a drug suspect on Wednesday afternoon. Reynaldo Ramirez, 39, of Barangay Addition Hills, clarified that it was his fellow volunteer, 26-year-old Miesh Al Alejo, who was killed. Ramirez said he was the one who brought Alejo to Mandaluyong Medical Center, where the latter was pronounced dead. “My relatives heard about my ‘death’ on the radio. Five of my friends expressed their condolences and even pledged money for me,’’ he told the Inquirer. “I don’t know what happened. The hospital’s guard took my name; maybe he thought my name was the victim’s.” The error apparently stemmed from a report reaching Eastern Police District director Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula, which said Ramirez was killed by a certain “Pusit,” whom barangay officials tried to arrest at Welfareville Compound, Addition Hills. Pusit was one of the four men caught having a “shabu” session inside a house on Block 36, according to the report signed by Senior Insp. Cristina Vasquez of the Mandaluyong police. The pistol-wielding Pusit was able to escape along with the others, the report added. The Inquirer confirmed that Alejo, a father of two girls aged 4 and 2 years old, died of a gunshot wound in the head. Reached for comment on Friday regarding the error, the city police chief, Senior Supt. Joaquin Alva, said the correction would appear in their progress report on the incident.—JODEE A. AGONCILLO