Isko Moreno acted quickly following the killing of his security personnel, issuing a 48-hour ultimatum that was later followed by the surrender of a key suspect in the case.
Liegem Bulalacao Young, also known as “Biboy,” surrendered on March 17 and was turned over to the Manila Police District Homicide Section. He was identified as the motorcycle driver used in the fatal shooting of George Capistrano, a retired police officer who was serving as Moreno’s bodyguard. Capistrano was gunned down in a riding-in-tandem attack in Tondo on March 15.
Bulalacao claimed he was not the gunman and pointed to Albert Magdaraog as the one who carried out the shooting. Police operations are ongoing to locate Magdaraog, who remains at large.
The surrender came shortly after Moreno publicly issued a direct warning to those involved, signaling an intensified push to resolve the case. “Mga tolongges, kung babalakin ninyong gumawa ng kalokohan sa Maynila, magdalawang-isip na kayo,” Moreno said.
Moreno said the suspect’s surrender also produced information that could help authorities identify other individuals linked to robbery and holdup incidents in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. “Nagbigay rin si Biboy ng mahahalagang impormasyon upang matukoy ang iba pang indibidwal na sangkot sa mga krimen dito sa Metro Manila at mga kalapit na probinsya,” he said.
Framing the response as a matter of justice and accountability, Moreno assured the victim’s family that the case would not stop with a single arrest. “Sa pamilya at mga mahal sa buhay ni George, pati na rin sa iba pang naging biktima ng mga suspek, makakamit na po natin ang hustisya,” he said.
He also issued a direct warning to the remaining suspect and others involved in criminal activity. “Albert Magdaraog, malapit ka na naming kalawitin. Bilang na ang mga araw mo. Sa mga tolongges diyan, tandaan ninyo kapag gumawa kayo ng krimen sa Maynila, hahabulin namin kayo saan man kayo magtago hanggang mapanagot kayo sa batas.”
The sequence of events, from ultimatum to surrender, places Moreno at the center of the response, with authorities continuing operations to arrest all those involved and bring them before the law.
