(Front) 38-year-old Roland Arita, a self-confessed killer, told reporters that he killed criminals, without being paid, as part of a personal mission to eliminate “evil persons” from society. (Behind) Meanwhile, two teenaged boys, aged 17 and 18, admitted that they both killed for a fee. Arita and the two teenagers were arrested by police after two separate shooting incidents in Cebu City which allegedly involved the three supposed assailants.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON
He was a victim of a random shooting that almost claimed his life in 2010.
While he was grateful to have survived, Roland Arita said the incident fueled a strong desire in him to get back at all lawless individuals that he would encounter.
“Suko gyud ko sa dautan nga mga tawo. (I am really mad at evil persons),” he said while showing reporters a scar from a bullet wound on his neck.
Arita, 38, was arrested by policemen in an operation in Barangay Pulangbato, Cebu City on Sunday, three days after he allegedly shot dead Eric Pedrosa Manzo who was facing charges of illegal drugs and possession of firearms.
Arita admitted killing Manzo but did not show any remorse.
“Gusto ko magbasol pero yawa man. (I want to be sorry for it but he was a devil),” Arita said of Manzo who, he believed, was a robber.
Last Thursday, Arita said he was only supposed to spy on Manzo, but the latter allegedly tried to hack him.
“Nakalihay man ko so nibunot ko sa akong armas og ako siyang gipusil. (I was able to evade so I got my gun and shot him),” he said.
Arita said Manzo was the second person he had killed. Before Manzo, he gunned down a certain Florencio Leyson last February 17 for being responsible for the death of his uncle, Arita said.
“Angkonon gyud ni nako ang akong gipangbuhat. (I will really admit to everything that I did ,” said Arita who also confessed to have used illegal drugs for some time before he reportedly stopped over a year ago.
Arita, a farmer from the mountain village of Adlaon, Cebu City, said there were people who complained to him about certain criminals in their place.
He said he promptly acted on the complaints and conducted surveillance operations against the criminals.
Had he not been arrested by the police, Arita said, he would continue to go after the bad guys and kill them.
“Gusto ko motabang sa mga polis kay naglagot man ko sa mga badlongon. Mapriso na sila, makagawas ra man gihapon. Maayo pa og patyon. (I want to help the police get rid of criminals because I am mad at these lawless elements. Even if they are jailed, they will still find a way out so it would be better to kill them)” he said.
“Ako lang ni. Ako lang ni nga mission. (I do this on my own. This is my mission),” said Arita adding that no one paid him to kill suspected criminals.
Arita, along with two alleged guns-for-hire were presented by the police, in a press conference on Monday.
Seized from Arita were an improvised rifle and several ammunitions.
He will be facing charges of murder and illegal possession of firearms.
The two other suspects—Alex Montes, 18; and a 17-year-old boy, also confessed to killing Niño Tañajura along C. Padilla Street in Barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City last Saturday.
They were reportedly paid P45,000 by a certain Archie to kill Tañajura for failing to remit proceeds of their illegal drugs sales.
“Gipit man ko sa kwarta so akong gidawat ang trabaho. (I’m tight on money so I accepted the job),” said Montes.
But based on police investigation, it was not the first time for Montes to kill someone.
Senior Supt. Joel Doria, director of the Cebu City Police Office, said Montes was accused of killing his own father, Allan, in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City on March 31, 2015.
The following year, on Nov. 11, 2016, Montes was tagged in the killing of a certain Bryan Benitez along D. Jakosalem Street, Cebu City.
Since February 17, at least 49 persons were killed in separate shooting incidents in Metro Cebu. Of the number, police were, so far, able to arrest suspects from only two of these murder incidents.
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