4 charged in murder of PDEA agent, son

By Mar T. Supnad

CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur -- Four persons tagged by police as gun-for-hire criminals were charged with double murder and illegal possession of firearms for allegedly killing an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement agency and his son who were shot dead last week in a resort here in Barangay Darapidap.

Senior Supt. Virglio Fabros, provincial police director, said Benson Alviento, Manuel River and two others were charged before the City Prosecutor’s office here in connection with the killing of victims Eduard Gautani, Sr. and his son Eduard Jr., 16.

The four, however, remain at large and have been probably in hiding somewhere.

According to Fabros, the shooting to death of the victims was possibly drug-related since the PDEA agent was active in the campaign against illegal drugs in the province.

Earlier, the PDEA central office in Manila tagged seven persons who are all reportedly gun-for-hire members operating in this province and in nearby Abra as behind the shooting to death of the father and son.

Fabros said that one of the suspects had already admitted that one of their members was also involved in the killing of one Mr. Tan in Bantay town last Sept. 8, while police are also looking on involvement of the suspects in three other killings in Sta. Lucia and in Candon.

Investigation showed the two victims were then having a dinner inside their open house “kubo” in barangay Darapidap, when two unidentified gunmen suddenly approached them and shot them at close range.

The two died on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Fabros said the PDEA agent succumbed to six gun shot wounds while his son Eduard, jr., 16, succumbed to gunshot wound in the head.

The attackers used calibers 45 and 9mm guns in shooting the victims to death.

Fabros said police are eyeing two angles on the shooting of the agent- on drug related and possibility it was perpetrated by New People’s Army rebels since government soldiers seized a document from the rebels last year in Baluarte, Salcedo town, that Gautani was reportedly on their hit list.