STA. BARBARA, Pangasinan– Police
are set to file frustrated murder charges against two arrested suspects in the
shooting of a local newspaper publisher here Tuesday morning.
Chief Insp. Giovanni Mangonon,
this town’s police chief, said they were preparing documents and gathering
supplemental evidence so they could file a case against Jerry Aquino, 42, of
Barangay Luyan, Mapandan town, and William Garcia, 27, of Bautista town, who
were tagged by Jaime Aquino, publisher of the Northern Star, as his alleged
attackers.
The two suspects are now in
police custody.
Aquino, 45, also mentioned a
certain Berosel of Malasiqui town, now being hunted.
Based on police intelligence
reports, Mangonon said there are two known guns-for hire by the name of Berosil
from Malasiqui, one of whom is behind bars.
Mangonon said they arrested Jerry
Aquino and Garcia based on a statement that the publisher gave and signed
pointing to the two and Berosel as his attackers.
Mangonon said he visited Aquino
in a hospital in Dagupan City Tuesday night after he underwent surgery.
A .45-caliber bullet hit Aquino
in the back and pierced through his chest.
Aquino was shot while reading a
newspaper in a waiting shed in Barangay Minien West here Tuesday morning.
Though wounded, he managed to run
toward his car parked about 10 meters away to get his guns – a .45-caliber
pistol and a 9-mm pistol. Police said both guns are licensed.
Mangonon said they were probing
various angles, from personal to job-related, as possible motive behind the
slay attempt on Aquino.
Aquino is a co-respondent in the
murder case for the gun-slaying last December of Infanta town mayor Ruperto
Martinez filed with the Department of Justice against Gov. Amado Espino Jr. and
first district Rep. Jesus Celeste.
The National Bureau of
Investigation filed the case based on the testimony of Aquino’s 16-year-old son
who alleged that he heard Espino, Celeste and his father plot Martinez’s
killing. Both officials have denied the allegations.
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