2nd gunman in Batocabe slay yields in Masbate

LEGAZPI CITY — The second gunman in the killing of Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe in Daraga town in Albay province on Dec. 22 surrendered to the police in Masbate province Saturday morning.

Rolando Nonsol Arimado, 50, a former member of Philippine Army’s Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu), surrendered in Barangay (village) Nursery in Masbate City around 7 a.m., a police report said.

Arimado is one of the six suspects in the murder of Batocabe and his police aide SPO2 Orlando Diaz. The lawmaker and Diaz were gunned down in a Christmas event last year.

Batocabe was running for mayor of Daraga in the coming May elections when he was murdered.

Arimado, according to the police, checked-in at a hotel in Nursery and later surrendered to the authorities with the help of his wife Amelita Suares and his son Richard, an active Cafgu member, who contacted the local police.

The police said he had an Uzi gun with him.

Police tagged Arimado as the “lookout” and the backup gunman in the assassination of Batocabe.

On Thursday night, the motorcycle driver, former Army soldier Jaywin Babor, surrendered in Camp Crame, Quezon City, following the filing of double murder and six counts of frustrated murder complaints against him, gunman Henry Yuson, Christopher Naval, Emmanuel Rosello, Danilo Muella, and suspected mastermind Daraga mayor Carlwyn Baldo.

Naval and former militiaman Rosello, the driver of the other getaway motorcycle, have also been arrested. Yuson was also arrested on Thursday.