Murder raps filed vs killer of cockpit arena worker

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – A murder case was filed against a person who shot dead an employee of a cockpit arena in Maayon, Capiz last May 13.

Major Christopher Candelario, Maayon PNP chief, said the case was filed before the Provincial Prosecutors Office on Monday afternoon against Ariel Deita, 25, of Barangay Ambilay Panitan.

A lone gunshot wound to the abdomen inflicted using a 12-gauge shotgun claimed the life of Rey Lenciano, 32, a resident of Poblacion Ilaya, Maayon.

Candelario said Lenciano appeared to have been shot at close range.

The suspect, a resident of Barangay Ambilay, Panitan, Capiz, fled after the incident and remains at large.

Candelario said the victim and the suspect had no personal grudges against each other.

But a few hours before the incident, there was a commotion at a restaurant bar located near the Maayon Cockpit Arena.

Lenciano allegedly helped in pacifying the fight.

Candelario said policemen were called around 2 a.m. Saturday to respond.

When things appeared to have been settled, Deita went back to the cockpit area.

He then went to sleep in his improvised bed – benches topped with folded packaging board.

But at around 5 a.m., other employees heard gunfire. They then saw Deita hurriedly leaving the area.

When they checked, they saw Lenciano’s body covered with blood.

An unfired 12-gauge ammunition was recovered at the crime scene.

Candelario assumed that the suspect’s gun initially jammed and ejected the dud ammo. He again fired his gun which killed Lenciano.

A hot pursuit operation was immediately conducted but failed to arrest the suspect.

Based on police records, Deita was also involved in a stabbing incident in Pontevedra town in 2020 that killed the victim.

In the same year, he was also implicated in a shooting incident in Panit-an town.

Meanwhile, Candelario announced that Maayon Mayor Raymund Malapajo has offered a P30,000 cash reward to any person who could give information that would lead to Deita’s arrest.

Malapajo is the current president of the League of the Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-Capiz chapter.