STA. BARBARA–A suspected gun-for-hire, an escapee from Muntinlupa Bilibid Prison, was arrested in Sta. Barbara last week and the police are optimistic that his capture could lead to the solution of some of the unsolved killings perpetrated in Pangasinan.

Mayor Reynaldo Velasco said the suspect, Ferdinand Ocampo, 38, who was arrested in barangay Maningding, will be subjected to further investigation by the regional police in order to extract more information from him.

Velasco thanked the Sta. Barbara Police headed by Chief Inspector Serapion Eden for the successful arrest of Ocampo.

      He had pledged in his inaugural address that would make Sta. Barbara safe for residents and dangerous to people with evil designs.

The retired three-star police general and one-time police director of the National Capital Region warned criminals not to come to Sta. Barbara because “it is dangerous to your health”.

He commended the barangay information network in Maningding for immediately tipping the police on Ocampo’s presence.

Ocampo escaped from the National Penitentiary in August 1, 2004 after serving his sentence since 1999 for illegal possession of firearms and attempted homicide.

After his escape, he was reportedly harnessed as bodyguard of certain political personalities in Pangasinan.

Inspector Giovanni Mangonon, who led the arresting team, said the suspect did not resist arrest.

Velasco ordered the local police to coordinate with the Police Provincial Office and Police Regional Office to check on crimes where the suspect was involved while in hiding.

“Our initial tactical interrogation showed that the suspect has been going with some local politicians, so we are having him subjected to further interrogation as it might help in the solution of some killings in Pangasinan,” Velasco said.

After this, he said, Ocampo will be brought back to the National Penitentiary.

HIRED GUNS

At the same time, Velasco alerted the people of Pangasinan after receiving persistent reports from intelligence sources that a number of hired guns are now in the province.

He learned that these professional killers come all the way from as far as Quezon province and are now hiding somewhere in Dagupan City and other areas in Pangasinan.

Velasco said the establishment of the barangay information network in Sta. Barbara in place since he assumed office will help in keeping criminals out of his town.—LM

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