Iloilo “drug lord,” wife slain in Aklan

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  — An early morning burst of gunfire at the Caticlan Jetty Port in Malay, Aklan ended the lives of controversial couple Melvin Sr. and Meriam Odicta of Iloilo City.

Melvin Sr., who also went by the moniker “Dragon,” was earlier identified by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-6 as one of the two drug group leaders mainly operating in the city and province of Iloilo.

Senior Superintendent John Mitchell Jamili, Aklan police chief, and the Odicta family lawyer Gualberto Cataluña confirmed the couple’s death.

Reports from Malay Police Station indicated that it was 1:23 a.m. yesterday when they received a call from port’s security guard that there was a shooting incident in the area. When responding policemen arrived, they saw two wounded persons referring to the Odicta couple.

Jamili confirmed that the policemen were the ones who brought the Odictas to the Malay Municipal Hospital where the latter were declared dead on arrival.

Prior to being shot, the Odicta couple was on board a roll on-roll off vessel from Batangas. They were pacing on the port’s walkway when gunfire was heard. There were reportedly two gunmen who shot the couple. The assailant first aimed at Meriam who was hit on the back of her body. Melvin Sr. came in next. He reportedly sustained injuries on his head, leg, and chest.

“Still alive”

But according to Cataluña, Melvin was still alive while being brought by the police patrol car to the hospital. The lawyer narrated that he and the other Odicta lawyers were waiting outside the Caticlan Jetty Port for the couple when they heard gunfires.

At that time, he claimed that he was still talking to Meriam over the phone. Cataluña said Melvin managed to call him. The latter claimed to have been hit on his leg, and that Melvin managed to walk while being assisted to the patrol car. He even managed to raise his wounded leg.

As such, they were surprised to know that Melvin was already dead with a gunshot injury when they arrived at the hospital. Cataluña said they failed to get through the jetty port since the area was already cordoned immediately after the incident.

Batangas arrest

At around 9:00 p.m. Sunday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueño confirmed that Melvin was arrested at the Batangas Port. Apparently, he was arrested hours before the news was confirmed.

According to reports, Melvin Odicta yielded with three unlicensed firearms. It was not clear, though, how the arrest was made and who was with him during the incident.

Sueño meeting

Melvin and wife Meriam went to the PNP headquarters Camp Crame on Thursday for fear of their lives, Sueño confirmed.

While others thought was they did was a surrender, the couple denied they were involved in illegal drugs trade, and maintained they run legitimate businesses.

The Odictas met Sueño because PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was in Bacolod City to attend the turnover rites at the Negros Island Regional Police Office. But they were later advised to go to the PNP since they are not local government officials. The couple was accompanied by their legal counsels headed by lawyer Raymond Fortun.

Sueño said the Odictas claimed they were victims of envy and persecution, the reason why they are being linked to the illegal drug trade. The DILG chief said the couple is also asking for police security for fear of their lives.

Last July 15, Melvin Odicta already “surrendered” to the Iloilo City Police Office during the implementation of Oplan Tokhang.

Melvin was also tagged to the attempt to invade a building where Askyon Radyo-Iloilo station is situated on Nov. 19, 2015. Former PDEA-6 regional director Paul Ledesma then identified Melvin Sr., his son and namesake Melvin Jr. and barangay kagawad Jesus “Jing-Jing” Espinosa Jr. as among the more or less 20 men who tried to barge into the building.

The incident is believed to have stemmed from the radio stations stinging commentaries against the illegal drug trade in Iloilo City. While Odictas were on denial of their illegal drugs involvement, PNP chief dela Rosa believed otherwise.

During his visit to Iloilo City on Friday, he ordered WV police to go hard on drug lords, with marching order: “Upakan n’yo ng upakan ang mga ‘yan.”

Mysterious release

Based on Supreme Court records, Odicta Sr. was convicted and sentenced to reclusion perpetua for selling an estimated 50 grams of marijuana on March 6, 1989 at Barangay Tanza in Esperanza, City Proper in Iloilo City.

He was nabbed together with a certain Nilo Celubrico.

On December 4, 1989, Odicta and Celubrico were convicted for the offense. The Regional Trial Court-Branch 26 in Iloilo City handed down the conviction order, sentencing the two to life imprisonment and to pay the fine of P20,000.

On May 15, 1991, the SC affirmed the judgment of the lower court and in effect ordering their lifetime imprisonment at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

However, Odicta got out of jail after serving only six years at the Sablayan Penal Colony in Mindoro Occidental under mysterious circumstances as no pardon or parole was granted to him by the Office of the President.

It was later learned that Odicta regained his freedom after the RTC-Branch 276 in Muntinlupa City granted his petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed sometime in March 1995. (FREEMAN)