Marantao, Lanao del Sur Vice Mayor Ali Eskandar Unte Alonto III, also known as Bimmy Alonto, was arrested in Iligan City on Friday, August 21, in connection with the murder of a solo parent and the frustrated murder of another woman in Initao, Misamis Oriental, on February 16. The 36-year-old official was apprehended at around 8:45pm inside Crystal Inn in Barangay San Miguel during an operation conducted by police intelligence personnel and the Lanao del Sur police. Alonto is facing a murder case with no bail recommended and a separate frustrated murder case with bail set at ₱200,000, based on an arrest warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 44 in Initao. He had been listed among the most wanted persons at the municipal, provincial, and regional levels in Marantao, Lanao del Sur, and Northern Mindanao.
It can be recalled that on February 16, 2026, 31-year-old Jovy Reyna Lubcubán Esquillo was found shot dead in a secluded area of Barangay Tubigan, Initao, Misamis Oriental. A younger woman was also found nearby with a gunshot wound to the neck but survived. Investigators traced the women’s movements from Jasaan to a hotel and eventually to Initao using CCTV footage, witness accounts, and a video sent by Jovy shortly before the incident. The surviving victim later identified a political figure as the alleged gunman, becoming a key witness in the investigation. Prosecutors eventually found probable cause for murder and frustrated murder, with authorities describing the motive as personal. The suspect was later identified as a sitting vice mayor of Marantao, Lanao del Sur, and arrest warrants were issued on July 15, 2026.
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