Resuello murder ‘half solved’, says Bataoil
LINGAYEN-Get “Cabesa”.
This was the renewed order of Police Regional Director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil to the police in Pangasinan, particularly the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, as he admitted that the slaying of Mayor Julian Resuello of San Carlos City is only “half-solved”.
“Cabesa” is the alias of Cesar de Guzman, the other gunman identified in the slaying of Resuello on the night of April 28, 2007, just more than two weeks before the election.
De Guzman remains at large despite a P1 million reward for his arrest promised by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who considers the late Mayor Resuello as one of her loyal allies.
“We have continuously updated the family about the progress of the manhunt for de Guzman,” Bataoil told newsmen in an interview at the capitol.
Police investigators have gone as far as Surigao and Cagayan looking for De Guzman but they have always come home empty-handed, said Bataoil.
The other gunman in the slaying, Angelito Soriano, was arrested immediately after the incident and found positive of nitrate powder burns when paraffin-tested.
Soriano was pinpointed by SPO2 Jaime Almoite whom he traded shots with after the former had just shot Mayor Resuello and the latter’s bodyguard Eulogio Martinez.
Soriano is still languishing at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology district jail in San Carlos City, facing cases for double-murder and multiple frustrated murder.
APILADO CASE
Bataoil said the other high-profile case that is “half-solved” is that of Vice Mayor Bonie Apilado of San Manuel, who was slain a few days after the 2007 elections in Urdaneta City. Apilado lost in his bid for the mayoralty seat.
Bataoil said while three suspects have been charged in connection with the slaying of Apilado, none of them has been arrested.
The police only relied on the statement of witnesses identifying the supposed gunmen and cartographic sketches presented by investigators.
“The investigation is ongoing (against these persons). The police will not stop with the filing of the case. The job of the police continues up to the arrest of the suspects, their neutralization if needed and if they decide to fight it out with our men, we will ensure that our policemen stay alive,” Bataoil said.–LM
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
