Ex-gov Espino ambush suspect shot in head; dies

FORMER PANGASINAN GOV. Amado Espino Jr. (center flanked by aides). 

CALASIAO, Pangasinan -- One of several suspects in the Sept. 2019 slay try on former Pangasinan Gov. Amado T. Espino Jr. committed suicide in his house on Monday.

Lt.  Col. Ferdinand de Asis, Calasiao police chief bared this identifying the victim as Ronald Anthony Romero, 36, here of Barangay Poblacion East.
    Romero allegedly shot himself in the head with a Cal.45 pistol while his wife was out.
    The 71-year-old Espino and his aides were ambushed in Barangay Magtaking on Sept. 11, 2019 along a highway in San Carlos City

One of his police escorts died on the spot.

A former provincial board member who died in March was among the suspects in the slay attempt against Espino Jr.

In an interview over DWCM Aksyon Radyo Pangasinan earlier on July 20, Pangasinan police chief Col. Redrico Maranan said they have confirmed the involvement of former Pangasinan Board Member Raul Sison in the incident.

Espino had earlier raised the same suspicion. Sison died of Covid-19 on March 26.

If you really study the case, Maranan said, it really points to Board Member Raul Sison because those behind the incident – based on the evidence and testimonies that we gathered – are his people; people close to him.

Maranan also said warrants of arrest have been issued against several suspects, and that authorities are tracking down them down.

He said the cases against the suspects are supported by “complete” evidence.”

“Our evidence is complete. We have CCTV, DNA evidence, fingerprints – we have complete evidence in that regard. That’s why the warrants of arrest were issued against them because the judge handling the case was convinced by the case we filed,” he said.

Eight individuals believed responsible for the ambush and death of the two companions of Espino Jr. were indicted early this year for the ambush wherein Espino was seriously injured.

The resolution dated Jan. 3 was penned by Deputy City Prosecutor Michael Go and concurred in by Assistant City Prosecutor Dennis Anthony Fito and Deputy Prosecutor Rohail Castro. City Prosecutor Glenn Lumanlan approved the filing.

The accused were Albert Palisoc alias “Alvin Pascaran,” Benjie Resultan, Alfred Pascaran, John Paul Regalado and four other John Does.

In Oct. 1 last year, 22 suspects, 12 of them identified, were charged by the Task Force headed by Police Region 1 Director Brig. Gen. Joel Urduna.

Aside from the original list of respondents, two others, identified as Jewel Castro and John Paul Regalado, were included as accessories.

Regalado and Castro were the owners of two vehicles, a Ford Everest and a Hyundai Elantra, respectively, that were reportedly used by the suspects.

According to the police, the Hyundai Elantra was originally owned by a certain Marivic Villanueva.

She reportedly sold it to a certain Michael Padayao on Nov. 24, 2017. The car was again sold to a certain Pediraldo Ras Luciñera, and finally to Castro.

Prosecutors dropped Castro from the list of accused, while charging Regalado, the owner of the Ford Everest get-away vehicle, for accessory because he never refuted his ownership of the vehicle.

The prosecutors said, “He furnished the means through which the crimes were carried out.”

They noted that on the merits of evidence, “Castro never had physical possession of the red Hyundai Elantra car.”

Castro, a well-known businessman in Baguio City, hailed the recommendation and ruling of the panel of prosecutors while bewailing how “erroneous, misleading, irresponsible and reckless” reports linking him that “besmirched his reputation and jeopardized his sense of security” for becoming “unjustly dragged into the crime.”

The prosecutors also indicted Lucinera for obstruction of justice for allegedly giving false information to mislead authorities from getting into the bottom of the Espino’s ambush.

On Sept. 11, 2019, Espino was on board his Toyota Land Cruiser, backed up by aides on Toyota Innova, passing through Barangay Magtaking in San Carlos City, Pangasinan.

They were sprayed with bullets by gunmen on board a red Hyundai hatchback and a metallic blue Ford Everest.

Espino was with his aides Agapito Cuison, Kervin Marpori and their driver Agapito Cuison, and police security escort Staff Sergeant Jayson Malsi.

In the backup car were Police Staff Sergeant Richard Esguerra and driver retired policeman Anthony Columbino.

Esguerra was killed on the spot, while the rest, along with Espino, 71, were rushed to the Holy Blessed Family Hospital for treatment.