KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 08 July) – Norberto Manero, Jr., a former paramilitary commander who was imprisoned and later pardoned for the 1985 murder of Italian priest Tullio Favali was arrested Friday while at the office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to verify records of one of their relatives.
Superintendent Elmer Guevarra, OIC of the CIDG-12 said Manero, known in the past as “Kumander Bucay,” was arrested and placed under their custody based on a warrant of arrest for murder and frustrated murder allegedly committed in 2010.
Manero’s release papers were signed by then Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez on January 25, 2008.
Guevarra said they checked with a court in General Santos City if there are pending warrants for Manero’s arrest and the Regional Trial Court Branch 23 based in General Santos City certified the warrants were still in effect.
He said Manero’s wife questioned them why they arrested him when the incident happened years ago.
Court records showed that the warrants stemmed from an incident which happened in June 2010. Manero was identified as the primary accused and was charged with one count of murder and another count for frustrated murder.
“When the RTC certified the warrants are still existing, we immediately placed Manero under our custody,” Guevarra said.
“We were given copies of these warrants last month by relatives of the complainants. Every week, they would check on us if we already had him arrested,” he said.
Guevarra said this was not the first time Manero was arrested after his release from prison in 2008.
Guevarra said Manero was arrested in 2014 for illegal possession of firearms but was freed temporarily after posting bail.
Manero and seven of his co-accused were each sentenced to “reclusion perpetua” (life imprisonment) for the murder of Favali; not less than two years, four months and one day of prision correccional, as minimum, to eight years and 20 days of prision mayor; and for Manero, an additional imprisonment of not less than four years, nine months and one day of prision correccional, as minimum, to six years of prision correctional, as maximum. (Malu Calina Manar / MindaNews)