Killers of ex-Vizcaya mayor's son known

By Charlie Lagasca

SOLANO, Nueva Vizcaya  – Authorities identified Wednesday  two of suspected gunmen in the Aug. 23 killing of a son of a former mayor here. 

Chief Insp. Alberto Bagarra, town police chief refused to give the names of the suspects pending the filing of murder cases against them.

He said a manhunt for the suspects, believed to have links with a notorious armed robbery group in the province, has been launched. 

The companions of the victim positively identified at least three of the suspects through the police’s rogue gallery.

Jonathan Castillo was killed in what is believed to be a robbery attempt by four armed men along the national highway in Barangay Bangar here at around 3:30 p.m. 

Jonathan, 36, is the son of former Bagabag town mayor Victor Castillo. 

The victim and two employees of their family-owned Rural Bank of Bagabag, had just deposited checks in several banks when the incident occurred.  

The victim was shot dead by gunmen while on his way home on an Isuzu DMax pickup at around 4:30 p.m. that day. 

Reports said Castillo, had just deposited checks in several banks in Solano town with employees of the family-owned Rural Bank of Bagabag, when at least four armed men ambushed them along the national highway in Bangar village.

Castillo, son of Bagabag town’s former mayor Victor Castillo suffered a bullet wound in the head.

A bullet grazed the head of the driver of the vehicle, Valentino Gauiran, 47; while Roberto Valdez, 34, the bank’s accountant-cashier was injured from the car windshield’s shattered glass. 

Chief Inspector Alberto Bagarra, town police chief, said the suspects were armed with handguns and an M-16 armalite. 

Valdez and Gauiran said the suspects announced a holdup. Castillo was shot during the struggle for his 9-mm pistol, when he tried to aim it at the suspects.

The suspects then took Castillo’s handgun and fled on two motorcycles.

Bagarra said slugs of caliber .45 and 9-mm pistols were found in the victim’s car, which bore at least three bullet holes.

Bagarra said that the suspects might have thought that Castillo’s group had withdrawn a big amount of money from the banks.