NPA 'agaw armas' men
seize rifle of Escalante cop

Suspected "agaw-armas" men of the New People's Army struck again during the New Year's eve celebration on Dec. 31 by taking away an M-14 assault rifle of a policeman from the house of a Bantay Dagat member in Escalante City, Negros Occidental.

The owner of the assault rifle, identified as SPO1 Petronilo Lim, a member of the Escalante police, was placed under restriction, and ordered to explain why his firearm was at the house of Bantay Dagat member Angelino Villanueva in Sitio Magtalisay, Brgy. Cervantes, Escalante.

In his report to Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director Inspector Mateo Maguate, said three unidentified young men aged 16 to 20 years, and armed with .45 caliber pistols, barged into the house of Villanueva and took the firearm of Lim as well as an ICOM radio handset.

Maguate said the three suspects introduced themselves as members of the New People's Army, before leaving Villanueva's house.

Last year, suspected rebels separately raided the police and Bantay Dagat outposts in Escalante City and Toboso town, and fled with them 15 high-powered firearms, including an M-60 machine gun.

Suspected rebel hitmen also took two M-16 assault rifles from two policemen they had gunned down in Brgy. Mabini, Escalante City also last year, police records showed.*GPB

back to top

SLAY OF TAPAZ VM, 2 OTHERS
Mayor's policeman-bodyguard apprehended

ILOILO CITY -- Police have arrested a policeman and bodyguard of the mayor of Tapaz town in Capiz for Saturday's killing of the town's vice mayor and two others.

Senior Supt. Rey Rafal, head of the Task Force Gardose, said PO3 Danilo Gelilang is considered a suspect in the killing of Vice Mayor Victor Gardose, Caridad village chief Leonardo Gimeno Sr. and Gardose's bodyguard, Anthony Gequillo.

Rafal said Gelilang is a member of the Tapaz police force and assigned as a bodyguard of Mayor Romualdo Exmundo. Gelilang was arrested a day after the killings and is now detained at the Capiz Provincial Police office in Roxas City facing investigation. Exmundo said he was aware that Gelilang has been called for questioning but did not know that his bodyguard has been considered a suspect.

He categorically denied any involvement in the killings. "I am saddened with what has happened and it is unfair to me and my family to be linked to this in any way," he said in a telephone interview.

He said he wants the killers to be apprehended and the case solved in the shortest time possible.

Gelilang will be charged with illegal possession of firearms for carrying a .45 caliber pistol aside from his service firearm assigned by the Philippine National Police. Gelilang had claimed that he only borrowed the firearm from a military personnel, said Rafal.

Paraffin tests conducted on Gelilang proved negative but the unlicensed firearm had been fired recently, tests conducted by investigators showed. Investigators are still waiting for results of ballistic tests to determine if it was one of the firearms used in the killings. These will be compared to the seven empty shells and two live ammunition recovered from the crime scene.

Rafal said Gelilang has a "history of being used by politicians." Investigators are determining reports that the policeman shot a supporter of a politician in the past election.

He said there is a "strong possibility" that (the killings) are election related. Investigators have discounted the involvement of New People's Army rebels, who are active in the area, or other groups.

Hours before he was killed, Gardose had formally announced he would run for mayor in next year's elections to replace Exmundo who is on his third and last term. The two ran under the Liberal Party in the 2004 elections.

But Rafal did not want to comment when asked if Exmundo has been linked to the incident. He said the suspects are hired killers who are not from Tapaz. Exmundo admitted that he had a falling out with Gardose in the last year of his term of office even though they ran under the same ticket. "But I would not resort to this (killing) because we have been together for so long and we in Tapaz have settled peacefully whatever differences we have."

He said he has opted to support and endorse his cousin and incumbent Board Member Ronald Exmundo to run against Gardose in next year's elections because Gardose had not confirmed to him his electoral plans.

Gardose, 39, and the other victims were gunned down Saturday night in Barangay Taft in Tapaz as they were about to attend the coronation of the beauty queen of the annual barangay religious fiesta.

Two bonnet-wearing men armed with .45 caliber pistols repeatedly shot the victims as they were alighting from Gardose's jeep.

A third suspect drove the motorcycle that was used as a getaway vehicle. Witnesses told investigators that the suspects followed the vehicle of the victims from the poblacion and overtook it near Barangay Taft

where they waited for the victims. The victims died of multiple gunshot wounds in the head and body. Gardose's driver, Cornelio Gardose, who managed to run away from the shooting was unhurt. Rafal said the driver was questioned but is not considered a suspect at this point. "He was just lucky that he managed to escape because the focus of attention of the gunmen was directed at the vice mayor and other victims."

The police are conducting follow-up operations and gathering more evidence to apprehend the other suspects, Rafal said.*NPB

back to top