Ex-barangay official in Silay massacre charged with murder

The police in Negros Occidental filed murder charges against a former barangay captain nearly a week after he allegedly shot dead four village officials in Silay City. Four counts of multiple murder and one count of attempted murder were filed against Noel Ayalin, barangay captain, of Kapitan Ramon town in Silay City on Friday. Ayalin was charged with four counts of murder for allegedly killing SK chairperson Imee Occeña, 16, and barangay councilors Luzviminda Cotamen, 45, Freddie Juno, 58, and Pedrito Orocio, 52, as they were about to start their barangay council meeting in Kapitan Ramon on Sunday morning. The charges were filed before the Silay City Prosecutor’s Office, the news site Visayan Daily Star reported on Saturday. However, the manhunt goes on for Ayalin who remains at large. The police have posted pictures of Ayalin at the Bacolod Silay Airport and at various sea ports of Negros Occidental so he can be immediately be identified. The Negros Occidental provincial government offered a P100,000 reward for information leading to his capture. More cases The police in Negros Occidental filed murder charges against a former barangay captain nearly a week after he allegedly shot dead four village officials in Silay City. Aside from the four counts of multiple murder and one count of attempted murder, Silay City police head Superintendent Remus Zacharias Canieso, head of a task force investigating the killing, said three more cases for frustrated murder will be filed against Ayalin later. Canieso said Ayalin was also charged with attempted murder for allegedly aiming at but failing to hit Jeofrey Latorgo, executive officer of the Kapitan Ramon barangay tanods. Canieso said they are also preparing three frustrated murder charges against Ayalin for injuring Kapitan Ramon Barangay Captain Ramon Celebre, and barangay councilors Salvacion Corugda, 42, and Lenny Leorca, 34. Canieso said they are now gathering the medical records of the injured to file those charges. P100,000 reward Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. called on Ayalin's family to facilitate his surrender, adding he may give them the P100,000 reward if they do so. He added Ayalin may even get the reward if he turns himself in. The governor assured Ayalin and his family of protection from possible retaliation of angry relatives of his victims should he surrender. Also, he said he is calling in the help of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to augment the police search for Ayalin. The three-day deadline he gave the police to do the job lapsed Friday. Marañon also reiterated his call to the public to report any information that may lead to the arrest of Ayalin. Influential person? Meanwhile, Marañon said there are rumors that an influential person was allegedly hiding Ayalin. Provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Allan Guisihan said the police received information that Ayalin has linked up with three armed bandits but is still in the Silay area. However, the governor admitted that it was also possible that Ayalin has already left the Silay area and even Negros Occidental. – VVP, GMA News