By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – One of the suspects in the killing of Bayawan City Councilor Alex Tizon in Negros Oriental was arrested here Saturday, seven months after the incident happened in February 2020.
An arrest warrant for murder was served by authorities against Jeason Tapuz Barte, 30, of Basay town, an alleged gun-for-hire suspect.
The warrant with no bail recommended was issued by Presiding Judge Maria Myla Rae M. Santos-Orden of the Regional Trial Court (RTC)-Branch 63 in Bayawan City on Aug 14, 2020.
Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Huesca, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Negros Oriental, said they first placed Barte under surveillance in close coordination with Basay Municipal Police Station, and Bayawan City Police Station.
On Friday night, they received information that the suspect left his house and went to his wife’s house in Bayawan City, where he was cornered the following day by CIDG operatives, along with the personnel of Vallehermoso Municipal Police Station, and 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company.
Barte was one of the accused in Tizon’s murder case based on the closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footages and the result of their investigation, Huesca said.
Barte’s warrant was in connection with the killing of Tizon, a retired policeman, who was shot dead by motorcycle-riding assailants at Barangay Villareal, Bayawan City last Feb 18.
Huesca said that the motorcycle used in the crime was recovered from Barte’s house during his arrest, an allegation that the latter denied.
Huesca said nine persons were involved in the crime, but the case filed against seven others was dismissed for lack of evidence.
He said investigation is still ongoing to find other pieces of evidence that would link other persons of interest in the killing.
The investigation of the case is being handled by the Special Investigation Task Group Tizon (SITG Tizon), he added.
Barte is now detained at the CIDG office.
