ILOILO City – A suspected rebel charged with three counts of murder surrendered early morning yesterday in Barangay Hagnaya, Jamindan, Capiz.
The 53-year-old Julio Llanes alias “Ka Pablo”, a resident of Barangay San Jose, Jamindan, was included in the most wanted list of the Department of National Defense and Department of Interior and Local Government with a bounty of P150 thousand.
He turned himself in to Capiz police director Senior Superintendent Samuel Nacion, Senior Inspector Jigger Gimeno and Superintendent Julius Balano of the Police Regional Office 6’s Regional Intelligence Division (RID) at around 7:30 a.m.
According to RID chief Senior Superintendent Hector Maestral, the negotiation for Llanes’ surrender took four months.
Llanes had a standing arrest warrant issued on Aug. 31, 2005 yet by Judge Daniel Antonio Gerardo Amular of the Regional Trial Court (Branch 21) in Mambusao, Capiz.
Llanes was a suspected leader of a squad of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) Central Front Committee involved in an ambush at Malinao River, Barangay Agpalali, Tapaz, Capiz in Sept. 27, 1999.
The ambush killed Philippine Army’s Private First Class Goodwin Villalva and two Civilian Armed Forces of the Philippines (Cafgu) members Rogelio and Felix Danid.
Llanes denied killing the three but admitted being an NPA squad leader at that time.
“Indi ako to nag-ambush sa mga biktima. Wala ako to ‘ya labot. Ang mga hangaway ang nag-ambush sa ila. Iban nga grupo ang nagpangamot ,” Llanes told Panay News.
According to Llanes, he joined the NPA in 1985. He said he left the group in 1999 after learning he was implicated in the ambush that killed three government troops. He hid in Tapaz.
“Atubangon ko kaso ko. Kapoy na ko magpanago,” said Llanes.
The RID took custody of Llanes yesterday and would present him to court./PN
