Urdaneta councilor suspected in murder case
URDANETA CITY—A city councilor here has been temporarily released after posting bail for a murder case stemming from a shooting incident that killed a retired US Marine soldier in a bistro joint in Barangay San Vicente here.
Superintendent Paquito Navarrete, city police chief, said Councilor Mark Joseph Andrada, who is in his 20s, readily surrendered to lawmen who went to his house after he was identified as one of the suspects in the gun slaying of Jomar Mendoza, 35, from Pozorrubio town.
Andrada told the police before he went with them that he is willing to undergo paraffin test to prove his innocence.
Police investigation show that a heated verbal exchange ensued dawn of July 27 after a bottle was allegedly thrown at Andrada in the parking area of Balay Bistro as he was about to leave.
Andrada reportedly returned to the bistro bar, located at the third floor, and this resulted in the killing of Mendoza.
Investigators recovered one empty shell each for caliber .45 and 9 mm at the crime scene.
Lawmen are in the process of gathering more evidence and establishing the identities of the two bodyguards of Andrada who were with him at the time of the crime, Navarrete said.
Navarrete said he had a check with firearms division and found that no firearm under the councilor’s name was issued.
Two other John Does were included in the homicide case the police filed for Mendoza’s murder.—Eva Visperas
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