Mastermind behind murder of Agusa mining executive arrested

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SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur – A local businessman is suspected of planning the killing of retired Col. Samuel Afdal. Gold Miner He was arrested by police in Bukidnon on Monday afternoon.

Bunawan town police chief Maj. Ralph Jason Perez told Jay Solis on Tuesday via a live broadcast on 89.7 DXGP-FM radio station that Ryan Mark Bailon, president of JB Earthmovers, was arrested at a private resort in Talahilon village in Kibawe town, Bukidnon and is now in the hands of the police.

Byron was Afdal’s business partner and the last of the four suspects to fall into the hands of authorities.

Juris Dilinila-Callanta, chief judge of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 85, ordered his arrest on April 5, along with former New People’s Army rebel Rosalino Degracia, for the ambush of Afdal on October 26, 2021 in Rosario, Agusan del Sur.

DeGracia had surrendered to the Davao City Criminal Investigation and Detection Group last April. Another suspect, Alemar Avado, was detained in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur for another murder case.

Perez said Barron did not resist arrest when a warrant was issued for his arrest around 5 p.m. Monday, adding that the murder suspect was with some female staff members at the resort at the time.

Baylon was taken from Kibawe to Bunawan.

Perez said the arrest took place 26 days after their TV station received a copy of the arrest warrant from the Quezon City Court.

Perez added that when they arrived at the Bunawang police station, Byron complained of an irregular heartbeat. He was escorted for a medical check-up on Tuesday.

“We are waiting for a warrant of detention from the judge of the 85th Regional Trial Court branch in Quezon City before we can escort him there,” Perez said.

Afdal, known as Saga to his colleagues, was president of Philsaga Mining Corp., which mined gold at a site in Rosario. He sold his stake in the company and started a new one, Rosario Manobo Mining Corp. (RMMC).

Afdal was ambushed while driving along an uphill road in Santa Cruz village. Despite the attack, the former soldier managed to drive to the RMMC base camp and seek help. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he fell into a coma and died on November 15, 2021.

The indictment against the three suspects was based largely on the confession of the alleged gunman, former New People’s Army guerrilla Jeffrey Mamerto.

Mamerto had pointed out that Byron was the mastermind of the assassination plan and he allegedly offered 200,000 pesos to former NPA colleagues De Gracia and Avado to carry out the assassination mission. Mamerto, in turn, signed an assassination contract with Afdal for 50,000 pesos.