Notorious killer in Cebu was groomed by his fraternity, says police

By Ronron
December 15, 2007

Cebu City - The notorious fraternity man here who was arrested last December 3 became the very famous local gunman-for-hire that he is, allegedly killing even two Japanese nationals, most probably because of the culture within his brotherhood organization.

Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, Jr., the police chief here, said Aristotle Aves, who is only turning 27 on December 22nd, was described by his parents as good-natured until he joined the Alpha Kappa Rho (AKRHO) fraternity when he enrolled for a college degree at the University of Cebu (UC) sometime in either 1998 or 1999.

Aves has been identified by a colleague who is now under police custody as the killer of Taro Suda last July 18 and Hiroshi Kusaka last November 13 in the adjacent city here of Mandaue. At the time of his arrest, he was the number one most wanted criminal in Cebu City, having been involved allegedly in 30 fraternity wars, shooting, and robbery incidents in the city since 2004, said Comendador.

“He started as a hitman of AKRHO when they engage in fraternity wars with Tau Gamma. But eventually, when the opportunity came for him to earn from it, he ventured into gun-for-hire activities,” Comendador said of Aves, who is now detained at the Cebu City Jail, in an interview with Manila Shimbun last Friday.

Comendador said Aves only started getting involved in fraternity wars after he himself was hurt in one of said incident in 2001. At that time, he was no longer in school after he was kicked out “due to his character.” He was allegedly shot in that incident but he survived.

Sr. Insp. George Ylanan, criminal investigation and intelligence chief of the Cebu City Police, disclosed that Aves never finished college and was only up to first year level in his Customs Administration degree at UC.

In 2003, he began to figure in fraternity wars against Tau Gamma Fraternity, although it was only in 2004 when his name cropped up as a hitman, Comendador said.

Ylanan said the series of fraternity wars between AKRHO and Tau Gamma from 2003 to 2004 prompted the creation of Task Force Aves in 2004, which he headed.

“In those fraternity wars that sometimes resulted to killings, his (Aves) name always crops up. He is always identified as the hitman that’s why he had this reputation of being notorious,” Ylanan said in a separate interview.

The Cebu City government initially offered in 2004 a P150,000 reward money for any information leading to Aves’ arrest because of his notoriety in fraternity wars, particularly against Tau Gamma, that sometimes lead to killings. But after he was tagged in a series of drive-by shooting incidents during the third quarter of this year, Mayor Tomas Osmeña raised the bounty to P300,000.

Based on official police records, Aves was tagged as a suspect in seven shooting incidents as a result of a fraternity war in 2004 alone, one of which resulted to death of an innocent victim.

Eduardo Paradero, 48, was riding a jeepney on his way home last January 12, 2004 when caught in a crossfire between AKRHO and Tau Gamma members along R. Padilla St. in Barangay Duljo-Fatima, this city.

Paradero was hit on his left thigh, causing him to bleed to death.

A murder charge has been filed against Aves and other suspects.

Three other incidents in 2005, and at least three this year were also attributed to him by the Cebu City Police Office Homicide Division.

Of the 17 incidents in Cebu City being attributed to him officially, 14 are fraternity wars while the remaining three are what police describe as drive-by shooting or “thrill, senseless shooting” incidents, probably triggered by alcohol or illegal drugs influence.

Out of the 17, four incidents resulted to death of six people. The rest were cases of frustrated murder and attempted murder.

But Comendador said the number of cases to be attributed against Aves can actually go as high as 30 in Cebu City alone if other remaining incidents can be proven as his handiwork.

This does not include the 26 fraternity-related and drive-by shooting incidents in Mandaue City, and similar cases in Lapu-lapu City that may also be attributed to him. In fact, Ylanan said Aves already has pending cases before a Lapu-lapu City court as a result of some shooting incidents.

Comenandor said he suspects that Aves may have begun accepting gun-for-hire jobs in 2005. “He evolved into a gunman-for-hire because of the money involved. The masterminds found in him the right person to carry out kill plots, while he was after the money in carrying it out,” Comendador said of Aves.

One of the three shooting incidents in 2005 in Cebu City that is being attributed to Aves was apparently a gun-for-hire job of the latter, since police could not find an immediate motive for Aves to attack his victim.

The incident was the shooting of Vincent “Ben” Dungog, 23, at 12:15 am of April 19, 2005 along Aranas Street. Police noted that Dungog is not a member of Tau Gamma, and that a follow-up shooting incident against him later that day revealed the probable motive, which does not concern Aves.

Manila Shimbun attempted to get a copy of the list of 26 cases in Mandaue City that are being checked for possible involvement of Aves and his group, but officials denied the request for the meantime.

As of press time, what police can only cite with certainty as a gun-for-hire job of Aves was the killing of Suda last July because of the information provided by Jesus Singson, Jr., his fellow AKRHO member, and the recovery of the gun that was used in the incident.

As to the Kusaka killing case in November, the involvement of Aves remains an allegation, according to police, because Singson is providing only hearsay statements.

While he admitted taking part in the killing of Suda, Singson denied any role in the killing of Kusaka.

Based on Singson’s sworn testimony to the police, their group was paid with P10,000 to kill Suda. But he did not state who ordered the killing, what for, and from whom the money came from.

He also surrendered a caliber 45 pistol that later proved to be the one used to kill Suda. It was the one used by Brando Ramirez, who was in tandem with Aves on a motorcycle in committing the crime, said Singson.

Aves himself is not squealing, though.

Police said the key person to identifying the mastermind in the killing of Suda and probably Kusaka would have been Ramon Baclohan, who was killed when police attempted to apprehend him last December 10 at his house in Barangay Zapatera here.

Instead of giving himself up, Baclohan shot it out with the arresting officers that caused his death, and that of a rookie cop.

According to Singson, Baclohan was the one who gave them the project to kill Suda.

Singson said Baclohan had links with Aves’ group because he is the uncle of two AKRHO members who are part of the same group – the Pineda brothers, Cyron and Ivan.

To include Baclohan, police said Aves’ group may include 10 to 12 persons. So far, police only has the identities of Aves, Singson, Baclohan, Cyron and Ivan Pineda, Ramirez and Jose Mari Temblon.

The members of the group who are already under police custody are Aves, Singson, and Temblon. Aves and Singson were arrested last December 3 at the Mandaue City port, while Temblon was nabbed last Thursday at his house in Mandaue City.

Comendador said that in the drive-by shootings and other crimes committed by Aves, he would usually be riding in tandem with a group member on a motorcycle, and often times does not even cover his face with helmet or bonnet, but just wears a ball cap.

“I think that’s a character of criminal – to leave some traces about your identity because it is a source of pride if people, especially law enforcers, will run after you while you try to evade them,” Comendador said.

But with a tip provided by a civilian informant to the office of the city mayor, the long arms of the law finally caught up with Aves while he was about to sail on a public ferry to Ormoc City in Leyte, together with Singson. At that time, police served four arrest warrants against Aves – two for murder, one for homicide, and one for illegal possession of firearms, said Ylanan.

“We see his arrest to make a significant impact on the peace and order situation in the city and nearby cities and municipalities because he is the head of the group. And because we arrested him, the people will now trust their policemen, so other crimes can now be reported. Therefore, we will expect crimes to diminish here,” Comendador said.

According to the fraternity’s Central Visayas President, Richard Buscaino, Aves was already suspended from AKRHO since 2004 because of his alleged criminal activities.

“Our fraternity’s mission and vision is to be of service to the community, and not sow trouble,” Buscaino told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview also last Friday.

AKRHO, which was founded in 1973, has some 23,000 members now in Central Visayas. AKRHO first penetrated the region sometime in the 1980’s, said Buscaino.

Buscaino admitted that AKRHO members had been involved in fraternity wars in Cebu starting 1999, but clarified that these were never sanctioned by their leadership.

Police had suggested that when fraternities recruit members, they should make sure that proper screening is conducted so that trouble-makers cannot get through their organization.

Buscaino said they have been requiring their applicants to submit barangay clearances before they are accepted.

While he is not blaming AKRHO itself, Comendador said the culture in the group of fighting back against a rival fraternity could have somehow molded Aves to turn into the criminal that he is now.

“Maybe, if he (Aves) did not join AKRHO, he would not have engaged in those violent activities. Then, he would not have known how to kill. He would not have become a gunman-for-hire,” Comendador said./DMS