Second suspect in British resort owner's slay falls

A road construction worker, the second of at least four suspects in the killing of a British owner of a resort in Negros Occidental, was arrested Friday. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents arrested Josemarie Pahayahay, 30, in Toboso town in Negros Occidental for the killing of Anthony Nicholas. Pahayahay is the second suspect arrested for the robbery and killing of Nicholas, 65, in Sipalay City last Sept. 6, news site Visayan Daily Star reported Saturday. Authorities had arrested Claro Barcoma, 40, last Sept. 11 for illegal possession of a firearm. Still at large are Dennis Marquez a.k.a. "Randy", and a certain "Toto." Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles had ordered all four arrested, without bail. Killed for beer Pahayahay said two of his companions killed Nicholas because he refused to give them money to buy beer. He said the two gunmen were acquaintances of Barcoma, his neighbor in Barangay 2, Sipalay City. He also said he was surprised to hear four gunshots, claiming that he was some distance away when their two companions allegedly shot and robbed Nicholas. "The two fled after the shooting and we met up at the seashore where they gave me P100 and told me not to tell anybody what happened or my family would be killed," Pahayahay said. "I was afraid so I went to Toboso," he added. He said one of the gunmen, who was from Guimaras, was dark-complexioned and had a scar on his face and spoke Waray. The other one was described as being from Iloilo and short, white, and good-looking. Pahayahay also denied that they were hired to kill Nicholas. Nicholas was shot dead while driving his tricycle home with his wife Judith Grijaldo Nicholas, 60, and their helper in Sitio Matlag, Barangay 4, Sipalay City, at about 7 p.m. of Sept. 6. Mrs. Nicholas had said that after the armed men shot her husband, they pointed their guns at her, and asked for her mobile phone. When she could not pull it out of her bag fast enough, she said she told her helper to instead hand the men their bag containing P20,000. After handing over the bag, Mrs. Nicholas said another tricycle passed by, prompting the gunmen to flee on foot. In an earlier affidavit, Barcoma said it was Roxanne, a.k.a. "Kompol", his brother-in-law and a barangay kagawad of Bulata, Cauayan, who introduced him to Toto and Randy, and brought up the plan to rob a collector of Quadro de King. But Barcoma said that on the evening of Sept. 6 while he, Pahayahay, Randy and Toto were drinking, Randy suggested that they rob the Quadro de King collector as soon as possible because they did not have any more money to spend. At that point, Pahayahay brought up the idea to rob Nicholas, saying his wife had collection money from their store. But he said they later met at the seashore of Barangay 2 and had an argument on why Nicholas was killed. He said Toto and Randy gave him P500 from the money they took from Nicholas and also gave an undetermined amount to Pahayahay. - TJD, GMANews.TV