Agoo cop guns down Ecija lady councilor-lover

By Liezle Basa Inigo and Armand Galang

TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – The alleged killer-lover of a lady councilor of Santo Domingo town was arrested here.
    The police prompt action after the shooting of Santo Domingo municipal councilor Angelique Alexis U. Paulino, 33 in Guimba town led to the arrest of the suspect identified as Saddam Pascual, 32, an active member of the Philippine National Police assigned at Agoo, La Union.
    The shooting incident transpired at around 6:15 a.m. on Feb. 12 along Nueva Ecija-Pangasinan road in Barangay Maturanoc, Guimba, police said Tuesday, Feb. 14.
    The victim was driving her metallic gray sedan when the suspect, who was her former live-in partner, and riding on another car, overtook and shot her several times that led to her instant death.
    In the ensuing hot-pursuit operation by Guimba Police, the suspect was arrested here at Barangay Sicsican around 1 a.m. the following day.
    The suspect’s confession also led to a follow-up operation in the farmhouse of his parents in Barangay Malayantoc, Sto. Domingo, and led to surrender of Cal. 9mm pistol and magazine loaded with 15 bullets.
Murder charges will be up against the suspect.
    “I commend my men for this speedy resolution of this case so that justice could be served not only to the victim but also to her parents and constituents,” said Col. Richard Caballero.
Pascual was arrested around 1 a.m. on Monday in Barangay Sicsican, Talavera, said Lt. Col. Reynold Macabitas, Guimba police chief.
    While there was no security camera on the crime scene, Macabitas said footage from other security cameras near the place and up to Rosales town in Pangasinan province, corroborated the testimonies of eyewitnesses that the suspect was spotted in the vicinity of the victim’s residence prior to the incident.
    Paulino was shot dead while driving her gray sedan on Feb. 12, investigators said.
    Her bullet-riddled body was found inside the car that was recovered in Barangay Maturanoc here.
    According to the authorities, the suspect was on board a red hatchback car at the time of the killing.
    “May mga testigo na bago mangyari ang pamamaril. Nakita mismo yung suspek doon sa vicinity ng bahay ng biktima inside his private car [There are witnesses prior to the shooting. The suspect inside a car was seen in the vicinity of the victim’s house],” Macabitas told the Inquirer.
    “Nakita naman namin sa mga CCTV after the incident, nakita namin po yung sasakyan na ginamit mismong yung sasakyan ng suspect [We saw the incident in the CCTV, we saw the suspect’s car],” he added.
    An investigation revealed that Pascual and Paulino had been in a relationship for more than five years.
    At one point, the suspect allegedly turned jealous, which led to the couple’s split, an initial investigation showed.
    Macabitas said they recovered the murder weapon, a .9-mm service pistol.
    Apart from the criminal case filed by the local police here, the La Union provincial police office will also file administrative cases against Pascual, Macabitas said.