Teen in region’s topmost wanted list arrested over murder raps

By Jennifer P. Rendon

An 18-year-old lad tagged as Western Visayas’s most wanted person was arrested afternoon of Nov 1, 2022 in Estancia, Iloilo.

Ivan Posto, of San Roque village, Estancia, was arrested at the Feeder Port Area, Poblacion Zone 2, Estancia, the place where the killing that he was allegedly involved in happened.

Posto, an errand boy at the fishing port, hails from Barangay Baybay Balud, Masbate.

Combined elements of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office, the Regional Intelligence Division (RID)-6, Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU)-6, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-6 collared the suspect by virtue of an arrest warrant for murder (Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code) docketed as Criminal Case No. 2022-10399.

The suspect was also accused of frustrated murder in CC No. 2022-10400.

Judge Mauricio Gomez of the Regional Trial Court Branch 71 in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo issued the arrest warrant on June 9, 2022.

No bail was set for the murder case while a P200,000 bail was recommended for the frustrated murder charge.

Posto, together with his local gangmates operating under a group called Batang Traplin or Batang Pantalan,” was tagged in the killing of Jaypee Francisco, 33, a resident of Barangay Bayuyan, Estancia.

The incident that happened at the fishing port in Estancia town on Aug. 14, 2021 also injured Jaypee’s brother, 27-year-old John Dee Francisco.

Following the stabbing episode, six teenage boys were taken into custody.

It was earlier claimed that the six minors and two other John Does connived in stabbing the victims.

But the court dropped the charges against the two John Does and other suspects.

Only Posto, Angelita Magnate, and Joemel dela Cruz were charged in court.

Magnate was arrested on Aug. 6, 2022 at the public plaza in Leganes, Iloilo.

Police had earlier said that the suspects are deemed a nuisance at the fish port.

They allegedly mulct money or fish from the traders or fishermen.