I am writing to you to inform you of the gross injustices that have been committed by Raul M. Gonzalez in Iloilo this past year of 2008. His office dismissed murder cases against the Iloilo crime king Vicente Espinosa because the DOJ Secretary is helping Espinosa instead of helping the victims of violent crimes. The Espinosa family (Deting Espinosa) are a very wealthy family in Iloilo. Antak Espinosa, the Brgy Captain of Brgy Monica and a first cousin of Vicente Espinosa, is one of the closest people to Raul M. Gonzalez. He even takes Antak with him on his trips abroad. In 2008, charges were filed against Vicente Espinosa for the rape and murder of his secretary, which took place inside his house. Despite eyewitnesses to the crime, the case was promptly dismissed. Vicente Espinosa masterminded the brutal assassination of Vice Mayor Ramon Rojas of Ajuy, Iloilo in May 2008. The Rojas murder case against Vicente Espinosa was promptly dismissed as well, despite an eyewitness, several witnesses, and overwhelming evidence. In September, Vicente's men shot the two assassins, one died and the other survived. The one who survived (Dennis Cartagena) became another eyewitness for the Rojas case. The case was reopened and submitted to the DOJ in September 2008. But until now, Gonzalez refuses to even review the case. He is determined for Vicente Espinosa to get away with murder and rape.

Dennis Cartagena has enumerated the names of more people in Vicente Espinosa's hitlist: Mayor Juancho Alvarez, Board Member Jett Rojas, Chief of Police Ariel Artillero, Councilors Pepe Baterna and Pepe Dumayao, and Brgy Captain Ronnie Banas. Also on the hitlist are the witnesses to the Rojas murder case. Raul Gonzalez does not care, he has given Vicente a free pass at murder.

Please help us. We need your help desperately. Raul Gonzalez is out-of-control. He is so brazen, he does not even bother to hide his bias towards the mastermind/murderer Vicente Espinosa. There is a very strong support for our family in Iloilo City and the people know that Vicente murdered Vice Mayor Rojas. There's a lot of resentment and outrage against Raul M. Gonzalez. He acts like he is the king of Iloilo. Gonzalez thinks he is invincible. We hope that we can get nationwide attention regarding what's happening in Iloilo and how the alliance of Espinosa and Gonzalez trashes justice and human rights like it's normal.

I hope that you can help us expose the corruption of Raul Gonzalez in Iloilo. My brother is Board Member Jett Rojas. My name is Joji Rojas and I am an American citizen living in Los Angeles.

Please see below the news stories about the Vice Mayor Rojas murder case and the Ronalyn Penepona rape and murder case.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Respectfully,
Joji Rojas, CPA
Los Angeles, CA
jojirojas1@yahoo.com


‘WE WERE PAID TO KILL ROJAS’

September 5, 2008 in Iloilo news By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Dennis “Totong” Cartagena subscribes to his sworn affidavit where he tagged Vicente “Etik” Espinosa as the one who ordered Vice Mayor Ramon Rojas’s assassination. (FAA photo)

Cartagena reveals all in 6-page affidavit “JUSTICE is all I want.”

With these words, Dennis “Totong” Cartagena, one of the suspects in the murder of Ajuy vice mayor Ramon Rojas, spilled everything he knew about the case. Around 8pm Thursday, Cartagena swore by his extrajudicial confession before Iloilo prosecutor Nora Causing-Española. It took Cartagena more or less seven hours to narrate the conspiracy leading to Rojas’s assassination in the morning of May 22, 2008 at Brgy. Central, Ajuy. The deposition was conducted in the conference room of the Provincial Legal Office at the Iloilo provincial capitol.

Cartagena was tagged as the driver of the black motorcycle used in Rojas’ assassination. Suspected robber Edgar Cordero, who died in a shooting incident in Butuan City last week, was the alleged triggerman. Cartagena said the case could have reached a dead end if not for what happened in Butuan City.

In his 6-page affidavit written in Hiligaynon, Cartagena said they shot Rojas to death “because we were paid by Vicente ‘Etik’ Espinosa alias ‘Bulldog’ of Brgy. Lanjagan, Ajuy, Iloilo.” Cartagena said he was a former bodyguard of Espinosa from April to May 2007 elections along with Rey Peña and Lindsey Buenavista. Right after the May 2007 elections, Cartagena said Espinosa has been plotting to kill Rojas. Aside from the vice mayor, the assassination plot also included provincial board member Jett Rojas, Ajuy Mayor Juancho Alvarez, Councilors Pepe Dumayao and Pepe Baterna and Punong Barangay Ronnie “Calis” Bañas. The plot was finalized April 2008 when Buenavista presented Cartagena to Espinosa at the latter’s house in Brgy. Lanjagan. “We met Vicente ‘Etik’ Espinosa and he told me and Buenavista that we will kill vice mayor Ramon Rojas and he gave us P8,000 for our allowance and surveillance expenses,” Cartagena said. For several days, Cartagena and Cordero monitored Rojas’s movements.

The hit happened around 5:30am of May 22 while Rojas was jogging on the highway at Brgy. Central. “When we reached Sitio Casamata which is sparsely populated, we drove near vice mayor Rojas and Edgar Cordero quickly shot him twice. Cordero then alighted from the motorcycle then chased and shot Rojas who was running towards the mahogany plantation. Then I saw Rojas fall to the ground but Cordero went near and repeatedly shot him,” Cartagena said. The duo then fled and proceeded to Barotac Viejo. They later learned from the radio that Rojas was dead.

The following day, May 23 at around 7am, Buenavista brought Cartagena and Cordero to Espinosa’s house at Ledesco Village, LaPaz, Iloilo to get P50,000. Cartagena said Buenavista received the money from Espinosa before going to the Muelle Loney port to buy ship tickets to Bacolod City. But when they arrived at the pier, Espinosa’s driver identified only as Pakit handed the tickets to Buenavista. Pakit then invited them to his house where Espinosa called Buenavista’s cellphone informing them that another P100,000 will be given to them. They returned to Espinosa’s house with Buenavista receiving the money. Pakit then brought the trio back to the Muelle Loney port where they divided the P100,000 cash. Cartagena said he only got P30,000.

From Iloilo, they proceeded to Bacolod City where they rode a bus bound for Cebu. From Cebu, they boarded a Cokaliong ship to Surigao City. Buenavista then brought Cartagena and Cordero to his uncle Joe Bahadi in Dinagat Island before returning to Iloilo. Bahadi brought the two suspects to Butuan City where Cordero was shot dead allegedly by Buenavista.

Cartagena is now in the custody of the Iloilo Provincial Police Office.





Provincial News Archieve

Bombo Radyo Philippines Forum : Provincial News Archieve

Topic: TOP STORIES

bomboiloilo

Posted: 25 July 2008 at 5:29pm | IP

The alleged mastermind of the murder of the Vice Mayor of Ajuy and 4 former barrio officials slammed with kidnapping and rape cases, due to the kidnapping and rape of a former employee

ILOILO CITY-- After being named as the prime suspect in the murder of Vice Mayor Ramon Rojas Jr. of Ajuy, Iloilo last May 2008 wherein he was named as the mastermind, Vicente Espinosa now faces a new case, being the mastermind in the kidnapping and rape of a 32-year-old former employee of his.

The case of kidnapping, rape, with murder was formally filed at noontime today against Vicente Espinosa of Lanjagan, Ajuy, Iloilo, and 17 of his men.

Espinosa was named by an eyewitness who served as his former bodyguard, as the mastermind in the kidnapping, rape, and murder of the cashier of the gasoline station that he owns, the victim known only as Ronalyn, last June of 2007.

According to the affidavit of the eyewitness, Espinosa accused the victim of stealing money from his business.

For 22 days, the victim was kept in the house of Espinosa in barrio Lanjagan and in his house in Ledesco Village in La Paz, Iloilo City.

Her very own father saw how his daughter was being tortured because he was forced to watch as she was gang-raped and beaten up right in front of him.

When Vicente Espinosa decided it was time to kill the victim, he ordered his men to shoot the woman, but in fear of his neighbors hearing the gunshot, killed the victim by forcing her to drink poison used to kill insects.

According to the eyewitness, she shook for 15 minutes before she died.

Political enemies of Sec. Raul Gonzalez, with the aid of the media have been portraying him as arrogant. This is downright false. He has opened his doj office to just anybody, any tom , dick or harry; who wanted to be heard. other ex secretaries would only see and listen to the complaints of their golfmates, compadres and amigos; oh, the lucky ones. Sec. Gonzalez has indeed dispensed justice to all and not to the " selected ones ".

MJ.S. ABELLA
attymjcs@yahoo.com attymjcs@yahoo.com