Sagada villagers hold rally for slay victim

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province --  More than a thousand  villagers from the northern tribes of  Sagada  namely Bangaan, Pide, Aguid, Madongo, Fidelisan and Tanulong joined by residents of Sagada Poblacion trooped from sitio Nangonogan to the municipal grounds of this tourist town to condemn the gruesome murder of  Elmo Panoyo, resident of Barangay Bangaan.

Jeepney driver Saturnino Elmo Panoyo was shot to death by an unidentified killer along the Besao-Sagada Road on Oct. 30.

The assailant hired Panoyo’s jeep from Bangaan to Besao. Panoyo was pronounced dead on arrival at Besao District Hospital on same day at 6:30 pm.

In said march-rally held Nov. 21, Mayor Eduardo Latawan appealed for justice for Panoyo and for peace to reign in the town.

An unfortunate reason for people to come together, Vice Mayor Richard Yodong nevertheless said the crime has to be resolved and updated the audience that a P50,000 award was allotted by the Sangguniang Bayan  to anyone who can pinpoint the identity of the killer.    

Sagada chief of police Kristine Gamboa urged everyone who has knowledge and information on the crime to visit the police station and forward their statement as the case shall not prosper without any witness and the public’s cooperation.  

SPO4 Elmer Payocong  said the PNP Besao is  doing their investigation to hasten the resolution of the case.

Barangay leaders of northern Sagada forwarded their concern to the family, relatives and tribe of another member of a cultural community who got married to them. Elmo Panoyo is from KapanganBenguet whose family migrated to Nueva Vizcaya.

Newly selected Indigenous Peoples representative to the Sanggunian Jaime Dugao called on all those who know anything about the crime to tell what they know to the police.