In a significant development in the case surrounding the murder of Mr. Cagayan de Oro (CDO) 2023 candidate Adriane Rovic Fornillos, authorities arrested two pastors on Monday.
Pastor Dimver Andales, who is allegedly the mastermind behind the slaying, and Junior Pastor Jether Notnot, who purportedly drove the getaway vehicle, were taken into custody.
Both Andales and Notnot are affiliated with the Lapasan Baptist Church in Misamis Oriental, and they were brought to the Agora Lapasan Police Station for further proceedings, with a subsequent transfer planned to Lumbia City Jail.
The incident occurred on the night of May 9, 2023, when Fornillos was shot while riding a motorcycle in Barangay Nazareth.
Despite being rushed to the hospital, he succumbed to severe head injuries caused by the gunshot wound. Fornillos had been on his way to meet with his talent trainer as part of his preparations for the pageant.
The arrests were based on the evidence gathered during the investigation.
Police Captain Byron-John Ratunil, Chief of Nazareth Police, stated, “At the same time, sa case process build-up, napatunayan talaga natin kaya ‘yan ang mga pangalan na lumabas,” emphasizing the strength of the case against the suspects.
Reports suggest that Andales, who was a candidate for Cagayan de Oro city councilor in the 2022 elections, is accused of masterminding the murder, while Notnot is facing allegations of being an accomplice.
Andales vehemently denied the accusations and expressed readiness to defend himself in court.
Rhobert Maestre, Andales’ legal counsel, highlighted the impact of the charges on his client’s personal and professional life.
“I will definitely say that he is not okay because this has an impact on his credibility as a pastor. It has an impact on him as a father to his family, as a husband, and as a leader in the community, especially now that his son is running as a kagawad, so it really has an impact,” Maestre stated.
According to Maestre, the evidence against the Baptist ministers is largely circumstantial, and the police have yet to apprehend the individual responsible for shooting Fornillos.
In contrast, Dale Mordeno, the lawyer representing the Fornillos family, asserted that there is substantial evidence linking the arrested ministers to the crime.
“We have pieces of evidence. These are circumstantial in the sense that the accused was not seen at the scene of the crime. But during the case build-up, we gathered enough evidence that links the accused to the crime,” Mordeno affirmed in a radio interview.
The connection between Andales and Fornillos’ death emerged approximately three months after the tragedy when unverified screenshots circulated on social media.
Some social media users claimed that the screenshots showed Jone Orog, Fornillos’ girlfriend, mentioning a “sugar daddy,” referring to a well-to-do older man who supports or lavishly spends on a mistress or girlfriend.
Allegations were made that this individual was Andales, and further claims suggested that he may have been driven by jealousy regarding Orog’s relationship with the Mister CDO 2023 candidate.
The news of the pastors’ arrest was met with gratitude from the victim’s father, Andrew Bimbo Santivañez, who shared a heartfelt post on social media, underscoring the quest for justice for his son, Fornillos. The post quickly garnered substantial support from the online community.
The Daily Netizen 