4 other suspects in MP mayor's slay hunted

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Police are now hunting four other suspects in the Christmas Day murder of Paracelis town mayor Ceasar Rafael saying they would be in police custody within this month. In the hunt list are Anonat barangay chairman Rommel “Borbon” Ambatali, the suspected mastermind, Anonat barangay kagawad Danny Agabao and brothers Tony and Orland Gumbi.

Police said Ambatali was the alleged leader of a criminal syndicate involved in kidnappings for ransom, robberies in band, illegal possession of firearms, murders and cattle rustling in Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela.

Ambatali and his six cohorts were formally charged last week for the killing after two suspects – Bong Felix, 34, and Rene Yadao, 32 – surrendered to police claiming they served as lookouts. The two tagged Ambatali as the mastermind who paid them P5,000 for the hit job. Rafael was ambushed around 2 p.m. that day while on his way home to Sitio Sinigpit, Barangay Butigue in Paracelis on board his Toyota Hilux pick-up truck. Around 60 empty M-16 shells were found in the ambush site.

Another gunman was arrested in Paracelis last week. “Senior Supt. Pedro Ganir, new Mt. Province
police director hopes to arrest Ambatali and his henchmen soonest, said Insp. Ruel Tagel, provincial police spokesman.

“We are resolved to put the suspects behind bars within the month.” After the surrender of the two gunmen and the arrest of another suspect, Rafael’s daughter, Mayor Anna Marie Banaag of adjacent Natonin town, said the case “is still far from over.”

“I am interested in the people behind the killing of my father,” she said.

Felix and Yadao earlier told police there were six of them who executed the ambush. Regional police director Chief Supt. Eugene Martin earlier created Task Force Paracelis to arrest Rafael’s killers and solve the case.