Following the confession of his mother, one of the three suspects tagged behind the murder of a barangay captain in Manila fell in the hands of authorities during a follow-up operation conducted by elements of the Manila Police District in Batangas province last Tuesday evening.

Police Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo, head of the Manila Police District - Homicide section, identified the arrested suspect as Mark Joseph Ignacio, 19, of 107 V. Mata, Herbosa Extension in Tondo, Manila.

Ignacio is one of the suspects behind the murder of 55-year-old Reynaldo Jornales, chairman of Bgy. 109, Zone D-1, and a resident of No. 154 Masuwerte St., Tondo before dawn, Tuesday.

His companions, identified by police as Leonel Enriquez, alias Lupen, 20, of Bgy. 85, Zone 8 and Bernie Ladia, alias Bernie, 20, of No. 100 Maharlika St.,Tondo, are still subject of a manhunt by Manila police.

Ignacio was arrested following the confession of his mother, whom the police officer refused to identify, that the suspect has been hiding in Batangas after the incident, according to Margarejo.

The police officer said homicide investigators quickly went to Barangay Balaytige in Nasugbu, Batangas and arrested Ignacio after receiving the information.

Sought for his comment, Ignacio denied that he participated in the stabbing of Jornales as he claimed that he "was only standing behind his two companions and watched his friends as they took turn in stabbing the victim."

"Wala po akong kasalanan kasi hindi ko naman po siya (Jornales) sinaksak. Yung dalawang kasama ko lang ang nagtulong para saksakin si chairman," he said.

When asked as to why he fled and hid in Nasugbu, Batangas, Ignacio said that he got scared that he might get involved in the crime.

Meanwhile, Margarejo said that they have already determined as to where the other two suspects are hiding but quickly declined to divulge the information on the whereabouts of the remaining suspects.