SAN ANTONIO, Nueva Ecija – Police foiled an alleged assassination attempt against Mayor Arvin Salonga of this town after two suspected guns-forhire, including a retired policeman, were arrested near the municipal hall compound at about 9:30 a.m. Monday.
Chief Insp. Marlon Cudal, town police chief, identifi ed the suspects as Ruelito Roxas, 51, a retired policeman of Sierra Madre St., Calmar Homes Subd., Barangay Canlurang, and Alex Panganiban, 42, of Purok Damayan, Barangay Ibabang Iyam, both of Lucena City, Quezon province.
Recovered from the suspects were a Toyota Vios with conduction sticker VG 0555, a .40 pistol, a 9mm pistol, a .45 pistol, one hand grenade, ri- fl e grenade, two hand-held radios, two knives, one airgun, and several rounds of ammunition.
Panganiban denied in media interview any involvement in any plan to kill Salonga, but Roxas who executed an extra-judicial confession with the assistance of Public Attorneys Office lawyers Aysac Dalangin and Marilyn Sharina Tovera, named town councilor Renan Morales as the one who allegedly contracted him to carry out the killing.
Morales has yet to comment.
Cudal said that follow-up investigation showed the suspects arrived in this town on Saturday (July 29) and have since stayed in a resort-inn. They were seen in front of the residence of Salonga, and went to a church where the mayor attended Mass on Sunday.
On Monday, Roxas was caught by CCTV camera in the municipal compound, sometimes taking selfies, before and during the flag-raising ceremonies which Salonga skipped by staying in his office.
After the flag raising, Roxas supposedly went inside the municipal hall building andeven asked for business permit forms.
When policemen arrested Panganiban from the parked vehicle where the heavy firearms were loaded nearby, Roxas was seen in a footage running outside but was caught by authorities with the hand gun.
Cudal said Roxas confessed that he received an initial amount of P84,000 from Morales for the job. A certain “Nora” was reported to have been delivering his “budget.”
Cudal said Roxas’ mobile phone contained threads of conversation pertaining to a supposed plot to kill Salonga with the mobile number thatsupposedly belonged to Morales.
“Nung investigation, it turned out na sila’y member ng gun-for-hire at ang target nila ay si Mayor Arvin Salonga,” Cudal said.
Salonga confirmed the number (09178860110) with which Roxas has been texting was the same number Morales was using in contacting them. Roxas’ phonebook though named it “Nora.”
Cudal said the suspects are facing charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunitions and explosives.
Salonga’s lawyer, Arnold Castro, meanwhile said they are preparing charges against Morales and a certain Nora.
