MMSU workers tagged in slay try on law dean

By Teddy Molina and Charlie Lagasca

BADOC, Ilocos Norte -- Six more persons are facing frustrated murder charges for the slay attempt on lawyer Ramon Leano, the dean of the College of Law at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU).

Ilocos Norte police spokesman Supt. Jeffrey Gorospe said Christopher Agunat, a security guard, who was among five persons earlier charged in the shooting of Leano, tagged five security guards and an employee of MMSU.

Gorospe did not identify the suspects pending the result of the investigation.

Agunat claimed the six suspects raised P30,000 to pay the alleged gunmen, Jomar Quezada, 24, and Reynaldo Pagatpatan, 32.

Five persons were charged earlier for Feb. 14 night’s shooting of tLeano.
Jomar Quezada, Reynaldo Pagatpatan, Jimmy Bautista, Adel Ranchez and Cristopher Agunat were charged with frustrated murder for the shooting of lawyer Ramon Leano.

Quezada, the alleged gunman; and Pagatpatan, driver of the getaway motorcycle; were arrested in Pinili town minutes after the shooting.

A shotgun, a .45-caliber pistol, a motorcycle, two cell phones and P20,000 in cash were seized from the suspects.

Ranchez and Agunat, who remain at large, and Bautista were allegedly exchanging text messages to the victim and Pagatpatan before the shooting.

Bautista, a security guard at MMSU, denied involvement in the slay attempt, saying he was just an acquaintance of Pagatpatan from their hometown of Badoc.

Supt. Jeffrey Gorospe, chief of the public information office of Ilocos Norte police, said Leano, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds, is recuperating at a hospital.