PARACELIS, Mountain Province – The ambush-slay of Mayor Cesar B. Rafael here is considered solved with the arrest of the mastermind, three of his cohorts who are now in jail and identification of three other men, now the object of a police manhunt.
Rafael was driving alone his blue Toyota Hilux pickup truck killed here on Dec. 25, 2007, at about 2 p.m. at Sitio Sinigpit, Butigue here while he was on his way home from his farm at Sitio Capalaleyan, Barangay Palitud.
Two suspects who surrendered told police there were six of them who executed the ambush.
After almost one month of search for witnesses and evidences to identify and apprehend the suspects, Task Force Paracelis got a break morning of Jan. 21 when two of the suspects, Bong Felix, 34, married and Rene Yadao, 32, married, surrendered to TF operatives and revealed their participation in the ambush.
The two identified to police their cohorts in the killing of Rafael saying they only served as lookouts.
They told police it was Barangay Captain Rommel Borbona Ambatali of Barangay Anonat of the town, leader of the Ambatali criminal gang, who recruited them and masterminded the ambush of the mayor.
The other four members of the gang who executed the ambush were identified as Kagawad Danny Agabao, Tony Gumbi, Orland Gumbi and Tirso Abalos, 30, married.
All the suspects are from Barangay Anonat.
Provincial police director Senior Supt. Joseph C. Adnol, in a report to regional police director Chief Supt. Eugene Martin said the gang has several criminal records in Isabela and Nueva ViZcaya ranging from kidnap for ransom, robbery in band, illegal possession of firearms, murder and cattle rustling. (Adnol was designated new Ifugao provincial police director on Jan. 31 replacing Senior Supt. Pedro L. Ganir.)
The people of Barangay Anonat have reportedly been in fear of this group because they are known for their notoriety and they can do things as they wish in the past.
Adnol said Abalos was arrested on Jan. 22 for murder at Sitio Dam Site, Anonat, Paracelis.
He was identified by Felix and Yadao as one of the gunmen.
They said ambush was planned on November 2007 but it was executed December 25 last year.
On Jan. 25, exactly one month after the brutal killing, a case of murder indicting the seven suspects was filed with the Mountain Province prosecutor’s office in Bontoc, Mt Province, which was received by prosecutor Golda Bagawi.
Barangay Captain Rommel Ambatali, Orland Gumbi, Toni Gumbi and Danny Agabao are now subject of manhunt by the Task Force Paracelis.
Martin earlier directed Adnol to organize Task Force Paracelis to look into the circumstances surrounding the ambush-slay of Rafael and track down perpetrators of the crime. Added to this was an order from Martin for provincial police to ensure peace and order in Paracelis and to make sure tension caused by incident would not escalate.
Adnol earlier designated Senior Insp. Allan B. Guyguyon as task force commander who launched pursuit against the suspects. – With a report from Insp. Ruel Dangos Tagle
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