Tipster gets P.5-M reward;Mayor tells NBI: Charge my brod’s killer in court

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Mayor Roberto “Bing” Arcinue of Sual, Pangasinan – elder brother of the late Vice Mayor Ramon Arcinue who was killed together with his wife Zhoraidda in Sampaloc, Manila on March 12, 2012 urged Thursday the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to file a murder case against the alleged mastermind in the crime.

Suspected gunman Otto Guialaludin, alias “Boy Muslim,” and a native of Cotabato City, was arrested last November by the NBI and allegedly squealed recently who had ordered him to kill the Arcinue couple.

“I’m wondering why, up to this day, the NBI has not filed a case against the mastermind in the killing as squealed by Otto,” said Mayor Arcinue.

A local radio station here had NBI Pangasinan Director Pedro Roque saying that a mayor in Pangasinan had ordered Arcinue’s killing.

“I challenge them to file a case now that this Otto has identified the mayor — if that is true,” Arcinue said.

The mayor being implicated in reports here is Mayor Ernesto Balolong of Urbiztondo, who was arrested recently by NBI agents for possession of 21 firearms.

Balolong, after a week of being detained at the NBI Headquarters in Manila, has been released.

This, as provincial officials handed out last week  a P500,000 reward to a male tipster who helped National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents arrest the suspected gunman in last year’s killing of Arcinue and hisa wife. 

Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr. and provincial treasurer MarilouUtanes gave the check at the capitol building here to the informant whose face was covered with a handkerchief to hide his identity. 

“We just fulfilled our earlier pledge. I was called to turn over the check and so I did,” Calimlim said Tuesday, adding that lawyer from NBI Manila and an investigator were also present during turnover of the check. 

Due to the sensitivity of the case, Calimlim said no other details could be disclosed. 

The tipster helped in the arrest of Guialaludin Sacandal, alias Boy Muslim Otto, in General Santos City last month.

He was alleged to be the gun-for-hire involved in the killing of former Lingayen vice mayor Ramon Arcinue and his wife Zorahayda in 2012. 

Arcinue’s brother Roberto, the mayor of Sual town, said their family was not invited to the turnover of the reward to the tipster.

“I think it would have been more proper if we were informed or invited because we are the victims here,” he said. 

He said though that they would also give a separate P250,000 reward to the informant.

“We have to validate, analyze very well. We would not just award but a careful study must be made,” he said. 

The Lingayen municipal government led by Mayor Ernesto Castañeda also pledged to give another P250,000 reward.