Milaor massacre suspect’s house yields guns, grenade

By Cet Dematera

Two short firearms, a hand grenade, an air gun, and dozens of assorted bullets, and magazines were recovered last week inside the house of the suspect in the killing of five members of a family in Zone 1, Barangay Tarusanan, Milaor, Camarines Sur, a police report said.

BGen. Jonnel Estomo, Bicol police director, said that the search of the house of Arthur De Leon y Nullan alias “Puto,” the alleged killer of a grandfather and his three grandsons and a granddaughter last Nov. 5 in Milaor town, took place immediately with the speedy release of a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court RTC) Branch 21 in Naga City.

Estomo said recovered inside the suspect’s house were: a Colt calibre 45 pistol loaded with seven bullets; a Taurus calibre 45; a hand grenade; magazine loader; and assorted bullets.

He said that De Leon is the subject of manhunt operations launched by police authorities in Bicol as the suspect immediately went into hiding after the massacre.

He said that a bounty of P600,000 would go to anyone who could accurately pinpoint the whereabouts of the suspect.

The suspect killed : Romeo de Leon, 72, and his grandchildren Samuel Cobilla Jr., 21; Noela Agliones, 7; Hobbie John Britanico, 6, and Robbie John Britanico, 4.

De Leon and Cobilla died at the scene. The three minors died on the way to the hospital.

Hades John Britanico, 7, was wounded and remains in critical condition in a hospital.