Rojas slay mastermind already out of Iloilo?
Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas, regional director of Police Regional Office (PRO) 6, could not ascertain if Vicente Espinosa, alleged mastermind in the killing of Ajuy Vice Mayor Ramon Rojas Jr. two months ago, is still here in Iloilo or anywhere on Panay Island.
Cuevas said it is now up for the court to issue a hold departure order against Espinosa and the other suspects to prevent them from escaping to other places.
A total of eight new witnesses have surfaced to pin down Espinosa as mastermind in the killing of Rojas, his cousin.
The witnesses, whose identities are being withheld for their safety, are now under the custody of the Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO).
One witness recounted that on May 19, 2008 in Brgy. Sto. Rosario, Ajuy he personally saw Espinosa talking to Lindsay Buenavista, Edgar Cordero and Dennis Cartagena about the plan to kill Rojas before his birthday May 23.
Cordero and Cartagena were earlier tagged as principal suspects in the killing of Rojas.
Another witness who claimed to be Espinosa's former bodyguard executed an affidavit that one time while his boss was having a drinking session with Buenavista, Cartagena and two others he heard Espinosa talking about the plan to kill Vice Mayor Rojas for the price of P200,000.
It can be recalled that two motorcycle-riding armed men shot dead Vice Mayor Rojas who was having his usual early morning walk in Ajuy town with Punong Barangay Armando Nacional last May 22, a day before his 50th birthday. The gunmen, however, spared Nacional.
With the recent developments, Board Member Jett Rojas said that he is inclined to believe that Espinosa is behind the killing of his cousin.
Rojas attributed the killing to political reasons saying that they don't have personal quarrel with Espinosa.
Espinosa's brother Ramon lost to Mayor Juancho Alvarez during the 2007 election. The deceased vice mayor ran under Mayor Alvarez.
Meanwhile, another witness in the killing of Vice Mayor Rojas disclosed in his affidavit that Mayor Alvarez is supposed to be the next target of Espinosa.
The witness who once served as Espinosa's bodyguard said that Espinosa once asked him if he is capable of killing Mayor Alvarez. The witness, however, did not accept the offer.