2 hired killers in slay of bizman hunted

By Mar T. Supnad

CAMP DIEGO SILANG, San Fernando City, La Union – Police are now conducting a manhunt against two suspected hired killers who shot and killed a businessman last Aug. 26 along Damortis-Rosario Road at Barangay Damortis, Sto Tomas town in this province.

Senior Supt. Ramon O. Purugganan, provincial police director, said he had alerted policemen in District 2 to establish a checkpoint and dragnet operation to arrest the suspects.

Cops in Naguilian and Agoo towns were also directed to conduct pursuit operations.

Police investigation revealed that prior to the incident, the victim identified as Jovito Fernandez, a resident of Barangay Casantaan, Sto. Tomas, was cleaning his motorcycle at the said roadin front of Pyter Ezra Store when two unidentified male persons riding in tandem, on board a Kawasaki motorcycle, without plate number, approached and shot the victim several times then fled heading to Rabon, San Fabian, Pangasinan.

The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds on his body and was rushed to La Union Medical Center, Agoo but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Investigators failed to recover empty shells and slugs at the crime scene.

Police believed that the unidentified killers were gun-for-hire from nearby Pangasinan.