THE arrests of Pastor Dimver Andales and his associate, Junior Pastor Jether Nonot on Monday morning, October 16, led by Cagayan de Oro City Police Director Col. Salvador Radam, have sent shockwaves through the Cagayan de Oro community.
They were arrested for murder. The arrest warrants were issued after months of thorough case build-up by the police and the city prosecutor's office which found reasonable certainty of conviction against the suspects.
Earlier, Adriane Rovic Fornillos, 23, single of Youngsville Subd. in Igpit, Opol was a graduating student and candidate for Mr. CDO. He was shot in the head in barangay Nazareth on May 9, 2023. He succumbed at a local hospital the next day.
According to the police, Fornillos was engaged in a video call with members of a group chat when an unexpected event occurred.
Despite being immediately taken to the hospital, Fornillos was pronounced dead 12:30 a.m. on May 10.
The then City Police Director Police Col. Aaron Mandia said that according to witnesses, the victim had just emerged from a house located at 13th Street, Barangay Nazareth when the incident occurred.
The victim was about to ride his motorcycle, a Yamaha Nmax with plate number 385-KEV when suddenly two persons on board a tricab arrived and one of them shot the former, according to Mandia.
The unexpected death shocked the city, and subsequent revelations about a possible motive behind the murder have caused a scandal of epic proportions.
Early investigations suggest that Fornillos' girlfriend was allegedly involved in a romantic relationship with Pastor Andales.
This revelation, once made public, added a layer of complexity to the murder case and caused a sensation on social media.
The arrest of Junior Pastor Jether Nonot, who is believed to have been the getaway driver, further intensified public interest in the case.
The question of how two religious men could be implicated in such a heinous crime has left many in the community baffled and distressed.
Pastor Andales' legal team has vowed to fight the charges, maintaining their client's innocence.
Their insistence on Andales' innocence adds another layer to this already complex narrative, and the public eagerly awaits the court proceedings.
The case has also attracted attention due to a cryptic Facebook post by Dexter Andales, Pastor Andales' brother.
This post, which hinted at Dexter's knowledge of undisclosed information, has sparked speculation among netizens, adding more fuel to the already raging fire of public curiosity.
The arrests of Pastor Andales and Junior Pastor Nonot have cast a shadow over Cagayan de Oro's history, marking a somber chapter in its story.
Public attention now turns to the upcoming court proceedings, with the community hoping for justice for Fornillos and a resolution to this shocking murder case.
Pastor Andales failed to win a seat as city councilor of the 2nd district in the 2022 elections. He ran under the ticket of Mayor Rolando "Klarex" Uy.
"Bishop Andales, as a political ally of Mayor Uy, helped in the early part of the current administration in his personal capacity," said BenCyrus G. Ellorin, political spokesperson of Mayor Uy.
