Men in Break-in Try Identified

CMFR/ Philippines — Two of the armed men who tried to break into Aksyon Radyo station in Iloilo City and took one of the station’s close circuit television (CCTV) cameras on November 19 have been identified. Iloilo City is 600 kilometers south of Manila.

Around 20 armed men in a convoy of about ten vehicles entered the premises of Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo station along Benigno Aquino Avenue (Diversion Road) in Manduriao district at 12:50 in the morning of November 19. The incident was caught on CCTV.

Iloilo City councilor Plaridel Nava, in a November 20 report in the Aksyon Radyo website identified one of the men as Monica City Proper Councilor Jesus “Jingjing” Espinosa jr.  Nava said he knows Espinosa because he frequently visits the barangay (district) of which  Espinosa is a councilor.

Police Inspector Donel Rejis of the Intelligence Section of the Iloilo City Police Office also identified the man who was the first to enter the fenced  premises of the radio station as Melvin “Boyet” Odicta Sr. Odicta owns a restaurant and a taxi business in the city.

CCTV footage released by the station showed the men led by Odicta entering the fenced area of the building. Odicta then went straight to the radio station’s entrance and tried to break in. After several failed attempts to enter the station, Odicta took one of the  station’s CCTV cameras and left with the group.

Station manager John Paul Tia said that the men might have been affected by the station’s commentaries. But he emphasized   that the incident would not affect the station’s campaign against corruption, crime and illegal drugs in Iloilo.

Before the incident, broadcaster Jun Capulot had discussed the  illegal drug trade in Iloilo on his late night program “Aksyon Night Patrol.”

A Panay News report on November 23, said Odicta was sentenced on December 4, 1989 to life imprisonment for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act (Republic Act 6425) but had “mysteriously gone scot-free.”

As of press time, the police were still  enhancing the CCTV camera footage so they can trace the plate numbers of the vehicles used and to  identify the other men involved.