5 Apayao massacre suspects arrested

CAMP BADO DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet -- Five out of the nine suspects in the brutal murder of three farmers and the injury of one in a bloody massacre in the remote village of Maton, Pudtol, Apayao last week were arrested due to cooperation of barangay and municipal officials of Cabugao and Pudtol towns.

Chief Supt. Benjamin B. Magalong, Cordillera police director said cases for multiple murder and frustrated murder were filed at the Apayao regional prosecutor’s against suspects.

He identified them as Dionisio Batalao Beltran, 51; Bryan Abagao Bernal, 21 (son of Marcelo); Beltran Labuag Francisco, 31; Devera Luban Dandan, 28 and a 17-year-old, boy, all farmers and residents of Barangay. Kumao, Kabugao, Apayao.

In the morning of July 21, Felix Bagay Matulot, 75; Jayson Gangani Acob, 29 and Rogelio Init Rupad, 39 were shot to death and burned inside a house which ws razed to the ground.

Magalong said Elevencio Pagtan Matulot, 44, survived the shooting in Sitio Magabobong, Upper Maton, Pudtol, Apayao.

All victims were farmers and residents of Lower Maton, Pudtol, Apayao.

This, while suspects are now detained at the Apayao District Jail in Santa Marcela, Apayao while the minor was turned over to the local Dept. of Social Works and Development.

The incident happened after an argument when the victims discovered that their “Lapat” (no fishing area) was “disturbed” by the suspects.

Magalong lauded the PNP personnel of the Apayao PPO for solving the multiple killing that broke the record of the place as most peaceful province in the Cordillera for several years.

Six of nine suspects in the massacre of the three caretakers of the restricted tribal fishing ground here denied their role in the crime, separate reports said.

Senior Supt. Albertlito Garcia, Apayao police director, said Tubban Luban, his brother Marcelo and son Alex; Charlie Iguad, Divira Dandan, and Jerald Daluquis instead pointed to the three other suspects – Dionisio Bernal and son Bryan, and Bernal Beltran Francisco – as the alleged perpetrators.

Garcia said the six suspects turned themselves in through the efforts of their relatives and village officials in Kabugao town.

They were implicated in the killing and burning ot the victims by heavily armed individuals who allegedly massacred them inside their old house,

Senior Supt. Albertlito Garcia, Apayao provincial police director said the victims went to visit their old house in Upper Maton, Pudtol, Apayao on July 19 and

two days after, the suspects went to the house of the victims where a heated argument ensued resulting to the killing of the victims.

The lone survivor who was then at the river about to return to the house was suddenly fired upon by one of the suspects prompting him to run for his safety when he heard three successive gun shots coming from their house.

He then reported the incident the following day to the personnel of Pudtol municipal police station, Apayao PPO.

The police, together with the relatives of the victims, reached the scene at about 2 p.m. of July 22, discovering an already burned house with the cadaver of the victims still inside.

Several fired cartridge cases of shotgun were also recovered while the victims were positively identified by their relatives.