Cops zero in on kagawad’s killers
LINGAYEN–Police Provincial Director Senior Supt. Rosueto Ricaforte has announced that they have made a breakthrough in the investigation of the slaying of a barangay kagawad in Calasiao on October 17, just a week before the October 25 barangay election.
Speaking at the Engkwentro forum last week, Ricaforte, however, declined to give details on the progress of the investigation or on the identity of the gunman or people behind the shooting of Kagawad Joseph “Gerry” Garcia of Barangay San Vicente, Calasiao, but categorically rejected the incident as politically-motivated although the victim was running for re-election.
Ricaforte said investigators are zeroing in on an angle that the motive for the slaying was revenge as Garcia was a confidential agent of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
He said Garcia’s identity may have been “burned” and the people who may have been arrested as a result of his undercover activities could have plotted his killing.
The shooting of Garcia was recorded by the closed circuit television camera installed at the gas station and was shown on national TV news.
The footage showed the gunman alighting from a motorcycle driven by another person, casually approached Garcia and aimed at the victim’s head from behind and started shooting.
The gunman pumped more bullets into the body of Garcia even after he was already sprawled on the ground. The suspect also took the wallet from the victim’s body before rushing back to where his accomplice waited right at the gasoline station premises.
Ricaforte said the Calasiao police did not recover empty shells from the crime scene, except slugs, indicating that the gunman used a revolver.
He pointed out that the killing of the barangay kagawad is clearly the handiwork of guns-for-hire, whose presence in the province continues to elude the police and the National Bureau of Investigation.
PAGs
At the same time, Ricaforte said he will recommend to the intelligence community the de-listing of three private armed groups (PAGs) in Pangasinan as they appeared to be inactive during the past Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
He explained that there used to be seven PAGs in the province but four were already immobilized before he took over as police provincial director in the middle part of this year.
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