Hitman in Nueva Ecija mayor’s murder killed

CARRANGLAN, Nueva Ecija -- A retired policeman, tagged as the hit man in the killing of the town mayor here last Feb. 4, was killed when he shot it out with a police raiding team in the province early Thursday  morning, authorities said.

           

Chief Supt. Charles Calima Jr., Intelligence Group director of the Philippine National Police, said his 4men alleged handlers of the slain suspected hit man, Lorenzo Bote.

           

Calima identified the five as TeodoroIlagan and his wife Juanita, Leonardo Payabyab, Joel Diaz and PO3 TeodorickIlagan, assigned to the Regional Intelligence Division of the Central Luzon police.

           

Police confiscated a grenade, a .45-caliber pistol and .40-caliber Glock pistol during the raid in Barangay San Cristobal, Licab, also in the province..

           

Calima quoted witnesses as saying that Ilagan’s group was allegedly behind numerous unsolved killings in Central Luzon and Metro Manila, including the assassination of Carranglan Mayor Restituto Abad and the wounding of his driver-bodyguard, Army Pfc. SattyDuclayan, last Feb. 4.

           

In a follow-up operation, the raiding team swooped down on the house of Ilagan’s son in Cabanatuan City and seized a 9-mm Taurus and a .45-caliber pistol.