Bounty on Calatrava killers raised to P500,000

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – The cash reward against a wanted personality tagged in several killings in Calatrava town, Negros Occidental last month was raised to P500,000.

Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), said Saturday that some concerned individuals from north Negros recently offered to add P200,000 to the P300,000 cash reward that was earlier allocated by the local government unit (LGU) and other private donors.

The cash reward was intended for the arrest of Roger Fabillar alias “Arnel Tapang” or “Jhong,” which the Army and the police have earlier identified as one of the seven suspects in the killing of Rodel Nobleza and Renato Estrebillo in Barangay Marcelo on Aug. 7 and 12, respectively, and Barangay Lalong Captain Benjamin Javoc on Aug. 26.

The 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) also earlier dropped hundreds of leaflets through a Huey helicopter in the remote villages of Calatrava town, to seek the community’s help for the immediate capture of Tapang.

Murder charges were already filed by the police against these perpetrators.

Early this month, the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command – Northern Negros Guerilla Front of the NPA (RJPC-NPA) admitted that they were behind the said killings.

“Justice will be served to the victims,” Pasaporte said.