Fil-Am slay suspect fled, says mayor

OLONGAPO CITY—The Filipino-American suspect in the killing of a 23-year-old woman here has left the country amid a police hunt, Mayor Rolen Paulino said.

Paulino cited information he received showing that Jonathan Dewayne Ciocon Viane, 29, had left for the United States at 11 a.m. on July 26 aboard Eva Air.

Another suspect, Niño de la Cruz, has yet to be arrested.

Viane and De la Cruz are facing a murder complaint in the Zambales prosecutor’s office for the death of Karie Ces “Aika” Mojica, a resident of Barangay Sta. Rita here and an employee of a local supermarket. Mojica’s body was found in a dike in San Felipe, Zambales province, on July 25.

“We requested a hold-departure order against the suspect on Monday only to find out [from the Bureau of Immigration] that he had already left the country on Sunday morning,” Paulino said at a press conference on Tuesday.

He said local officials were coordinating with US authorities for the arrest of the suspect. A Regional Trial Court in Zambales has issued an arrest warrant against Viane.

“The US is a very fair country. [The American government] will help us [attain] justice [for] Aika,” Paulino said.

Josar Mojica, the victim’s father, pleaded for the immediate arrest of Viane. “I’m pleading to anyone who could help us find [him],” he said.

He suspected that his daughter had been dragged into Viane’s marital problem, pointing out that she and Viane’s wife, who is based in the United States, were friends. Viane left his wife in the US and took their son here in April amid a custody issue, he said.

“My daughter had given the suspect’s wife information on his whereabouts here. I think that’s the real motive behind this,” the father told reporters. Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon