2 suspects charged

By June 16, 2014Headlines, News

MAYOR BALOLONG’S SLAY

Hunt on for mastermind
LINGAYEN—The Balolong murder is still not solved.

Even after two men have been arrested and charged for the brutal slaying of Urbiztondo Mayor Ernesto Balolong Jr. and two others last June 7, the police do not consider the case solved and continue to hunt for the suspects’ cohorts and the mastermind of the crime.

P/Sr. Supt. Sterling Raymund Blanco, officer-in-charge of the Pangasinan Police Office (PPO) and commander of Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Balolong”, said the two arrested suspects were positively identified by witnesses, including the wounded.

Blanco, in a press conference on June 8, gave assurance the police is doing everything to identify the rest of the perpetrators, including the mastermind.

CARTOONnews 140615P/Chief Insp. Ryan Manongdo, PPO spokesman, said in a radio interview that investigation indicates that there were three or more perpetrators in the area during the shooting, but only the two arrested suspects alighted from their vehicle and fired at Balolong and the other victims using a 5.56 Armalite rifle and a nine millimeter pistol.

The group used a dark gray brand new Toyota Innova with conduction sticker YB 6600, which was abandoned along the highway in Barangay Cauayan Kiling of the town after the shooting.

Charged for three counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder before the Provincial Prosecutors Office of San Carlos are Eduardo de Guzman, alias “Gading”, 65, of Barangay Salomague, Bugallon, and Marito Sarmiento, alias “Mar”, 39, of Barangay Pangascasan Bugallon.
The two were arrested by elements of  SITG “Balolong” as they were about to leave their place in Barangay Salomague, and a Motorstar black motorcycle without a plate number was seized from them.

VICTIMS

Aside from Balolong, also killed in the shooting incident were SPO1 Eliseo Ulanday, 31, of the Urbiztondo Police Station, and Edmund Meneses, an electrician of CSI Supermarket in Urbiztondo who was reportedly the first to be shot after being mistaken by the gunmen as one of the mayor’s security men.

Wounded and rushed to the Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation Hospital were Rex Ferrer, 18, Balolong’s personal aide; and bystanders Jose Vigilia, 18, also an employee of CSI, Rogelio Esguerra, 46, a “taho” vendor, and a certain Jimboy Palisoc.

P/Supt. Daniel Coronel, chief of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) in Pangasinan, said Balolong sustained from 17 to 18 gunshot wounds.

Investigation showed that while the mayor laid prostrate on the ground after being hit in the stomach, the gunman fired more shots at him.

Balolong was rushed to the Elguira Hospital, San Carlos City but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Likewise, Ulanday, Balolong’s bodyguard, and Meneses were pronounced dead on arrival at the Virgen Milagrosa Medical Center, San Carlos City.

CONDOLENCES

Provincial officials expressed their condolences to the bereaved family and condemned the gruesome crime.

The Pangasinan Mayors League, in a meeting on June 9, condemned the killing of their colleague and called on the police to bring justice to Balolong’s bereaved family.

Dasol Mayor Noel Nacar, president of the league, told local newsmen that they hope the police would not stop its probe until the mastermind is caught.

Nacar cited the Infanta mayor’s killing whose mastermind remains unidentified.

In December 2012, Infanta Mayor Ruperto Martinez was also gunned down and two suspects were arrested, “but until now they remain suspects, no result yet on who are the masterminds,” he said.

“Those who did the killing have no souls because even innocent people were shot dead,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a resolution filed during the 38th regular session of the provincial board on June 9, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan said the entire officialdom “extends its condolences to a fellow public servant who has served his constituents with the best of his ability.”

Ironically, the provincial board was about to file Provincial Resolution No. 601-2014, which was approved last June 6 in their regular session, affirming the resolution of the committee on good government and accountability of public officers denying the motion of Balolong to dismiss previously filed cases against him for alleged grave misconduct in office, abuse of authority, dereliction of duty and violation of the local government code of 1991 and related laws.

Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. said the death of Balolong has rendered all four administrative cases filed against him moot and academic, thus now dismissed.

Meanwhile, Gov. Amado Espino, Jr. condemned the murder in the strongest terms and ordered the concerned agencies to get to the bottom of the crime.

“Absolutely no one, in any way, will benefit from the crime except those with distorted values and deranged minds,” Espino said in a press statement.–LVM, Tita Roces, and Johanne R. Macob 

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