Central Luzon’s ninth most wanted man nabbed in Iloilo

Police nab murder suspect Rebino Blanza Jr. in Dingle, Iloilo on Sunday. (IPPO photo)

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A young man accused of killing a beautician in Nueva Ecija province in Luzon more than six years ago was arrested in Iloilo.

Rebino Blanza Jr., 22, a resident of Barangay San Roque, Lupao, Nueva Ecija, was nabbed Feb 19, 2023 at Barangay Ginalinan Viejo, Dingle, Iloilo.

Combined forces from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO, together with the Dingle Municipal Police Station, 1st Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company, the Regional Mobile Force Company (RFMB)-6, Lupao MPS, and Nueva Ecija PPO served Blanza an arrest warrant for murder docketed as Criminal Case No. 3868-2016-L.

Judge Leo Cecilio Bautista of the Regional Trial Court Branch 38 in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija issued the warrant on Feb. 3, 2016.

Blanza was not allowed to post bail for his temporary liberty.

The suspect is listed as the 9th most wanted person in Region 3.

The monetary reward for the suspect’s arrest was P135,000.

Colonel Noel Aliño, Iloilo police chief, said Blanza was linked to a murder case when he was 15 years old.

He was accused of killing Henry Comadre, a beautician whose body was found at 5:30 a.m. on June 12, 2015.

The night prior to the incident, Comadre was drinking liquor with some friends at his house.

Their friends later went ahead leaving Camadre and Blanza.

Several hours later, Camadre was found lifeless with injuries on his head.

Blanza was subsequently hauled to court, but he went into hiding.

Aliño said the suspect had been staying in Dingle for four years already prior to his arrest on Sunday.

Blanza was already transported to Luzon on Monday morning.