‘Hitman’ nabbed for extorting money from targets

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A man who was allegedly hired to carry out an assassination plot was arrested Friday afternoon in Passi City, Iloilo.

But Jun Fraid Libo-on, 26, of Barangay Gibato, Dumarao, Capiz, was not arrested for carrying out a plan to kill three persons.

Instead, Libo-on was arrested for trying to extort money from his targets.

Lieutenant Colonel Benjo Clarite, Passi City police chief, said the three complainants from Barangay Sablogon, Passi City accused Libo-on of extorting P170,000 from each of them.

The three complainants claimed that the suspect told them that he was hired to kill them.

“In order for him to abort the mission, the three should pay P170,000 each,” Clarite said.

Members of Passi City Police Station led by Captain Rogie Panela then planned an entrapment operation, which led to the suspect’s arrest at 3 p.m. Thursday at Barangay Sablogon.

Recovered from Libo-on’s possession were a pistol-type 12-gauge shotgun, a hand grenade, a sling bag containing fake money, and a Kawasaki Bajaj motorcycle.

Clarite said that Libo-on already told them who hired him to kill the three complainants.

He hinted that the planned assassination could be politically motivated as one of the complainants is an incumbent barangay kagawad.

The transaction started in December 2023.

Libo-on’s client allegedly paid him an initial P13,000 for the hit.

But the suspect told police investigators that he didn’t want to kill anyone. That’s why he opted to extort his would-be targets.

Clarite said Libo-on had previous cases and is facing a criminal charge for robbery.

He used to be a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) Active Auxiliary but resigned and worked as a security guard.

It was after his CAFGU stint that he was implicated in alleged criminal activities.

Libo-on is now detained and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and RA 9516 or possession of explosives.