BAYOMBONG,
Nueva Vizcaya – The widow of a slain Cagayan town mayor sought the help
of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, seeking a deeper probe of her husband’s
killing more than three months ago.
In a letter, Marilyn Pentecostes asked De Lima to order the National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a thorough investigation that could
lead to the identification and arrest of the men who killed her husband,
Gonzaga town Mayor Carlito Pentecostes Jr.
Edward Pentecostes, a brother of the slain mayor, confirmed yesterday
that his sister-in-law wrote De Lima before she returned to the United States
where she is based.
“Not that we don’t trust the PNP (Philippine National Police), but we
believe the NBI has more expertise to conduct a thorough investigation of our
brother’s killing,” Edward said.
Pentecostes, 60, was shot by two of eight armed men in camouflage
uniforms as he was leading a flag ceremony at the town hall grounds on April
21. He died of nine gunshot wounds in the head and body.
His assailants were among the more than 50 armed men who stormed the
municipal building and seized control of the town proper.
The PNP tagged the New People’s Army (NPA) as behind the killing,
banking on the communist rebels’ claim that the mayor was executed for helping
the military in the counter-insurgency operations.
The PNP filed charges for murder, robbery and arson against the NPA
rebels, led by commanders David Soriano and Rolando Ibis.
Ibis, who was among the armed men identified in the footage of a
closed-circuit television camera installed at the town hall grounds, is
reportedly a close aide of a ranking local official.
“Whatever the motive is, the bottom line remains one and the same – the
(NPA) did it,” said Cagayan Valley police director Chief Supt. Miguel Laurel,
adding it is now up to the court to determine the circumstances and motive for
the killing.
The Pentecostes family claimed the killing was politically motivated.
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