A complaint against Ilog Mayor John Paul Alvarez, a government employee, and five members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army for the murder of Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles was filed by the National Bureau of Investigation before the Department of Justice in Manila, 4:30 p.m. yesterday.

Arles was shot dead in Barangay Manalad, Ilog, at about 6:30 p.m. on April 24 while he was driving home.

Recommended for prosecution along with Alvarez are Emmanuel “Eman” Medez – an administrative aide 1 of the Ilog government, and RPA-ABB members Marvin Salve and Gerald Gallano Tabujara who are at-large, and Jessie Gedacan Daguia, Alejandro Castillo Capunong and Eddie Magno Fotunado who are now under NBI custody in Manila.

Two unidentified men and a woman who allegedly also took part in the murder have been tagged as John Does and Jane Doe in the complaint.

Bacolod NBI chief Ferdinand Lavin said the murder complaint was filed before DOJ Prosecutor General Claro Arellano.

The complainants are lawyer Albert Arles and Philip Arles, sons of the judge, Lavin said.

In the complaint, Albert Arles, said “The killing of my father was well planned and was performed by hired-killers.”

MOTIVE

As established, Albert Arles said, the motive behind his killing was the suspicion that “Judge Arles together with me were allegedly responsible for helping the late Ilog Councilor Antonio ‘Karem’ Gequillana in following up the Ombudsman case against Mayor John Paul Alvarez, which resulted in the dismissal from office of his-correspondents for (violation of the) Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices before the Sandiganbayan.”

They were accused before the Sandiganbayan of unlawfully repairing and replacing the motor engine Mitsubishi Pajero service vehicle of the Ilog DepEd.

GEQUILLANA CASE

Coincidentally, the NBI complaint yesterday was filed on the first anniversary of Gequillana’s assassination in Bacolod City on July 27, 2011.

Alvarez, who is the son of Negros Occidental Vice Gov Genaro Alvarez and brother of Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District), could not be reached for comment.

The vice governor said he was not aware that a case had been filed. He maintained that his son is innocent and said they will consult with a lawyer and face the matter in court.

Included in the complaint filed before the DOJ are documents to allegedly show the basis for the mayor’s motive.

WARNING

Albert Arles said that on April 6, 2012, Good Friday of Holy Week, his father told him and his sister that “In case anything happens to me, it’s Paul Alvarez.”

He said his father confided that someone who introduced himself as Mayor Alvarez called him and said “Judge, you meddled in my Ombudsman case,” and quickly put the phone down.

At past noon of April 24, the afternoon before his death, Albert said the judge informed him that he had already found an apartment in Kabankalan City and wanted to look for a driver with a military background because he was receiving death threats. He added that it was the last time he was able to speak to his father.

The complaint also said “Subject Alvarez allegedly perceived that it was the victim who was tenacious in pursuing the culprits behind the killing of SK Karem Gequillana of Ilog, Negros Occidental. It was believed that subject Alvarez was behind the murder of SB Gequillana.”*CPG

back to top