CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 04 December) – Mayor Oscar Moreno urged the public to wait for the final outcome of the police investigation on the murder Thursday morning of a prominent doctor, as police arrested a fourth suspect on Frirday afternoon.
Dr. Raul Winston Andutan, medical director of the Jesuit-run Maria Reyna-Xavier University Hospital (MRXUH), was ambushed and killed by riding-in-tandem gunmen in Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental on Thursday morning.
“There are many angles that need to be investigated. We should not jump into conclusions right away,” the mayor said.
Major Evan Viñas, spokesperson of the Cagayan de Oro Police Office said Felipe Tingabngab Entira, 63, a resident of Brgy Banlag, Valencia City, Bukidnon, allegedly a lookout during the ambush of Andutan, was arrested at the bus terminal in Villanueva town on Friday afternoon as he tried to escape from the police dragnet.
On Friday morning, the alleged leader of the gunmen, former Army soldier Rene Tortosa, was able to escape the police who conducted the raid in their hideout in Balingoan town Friday morning.
But three suspects were arrested in an apartment in a subdivision in this city also on Friday morning. They were identified as Joel Arcilla Nacua of Lilingayon, Valencia City, Bukidnon, 37, the alleged gunman; Jomar Pacilan Adlao of Dulugan, Maramag, Bukidnon, the 30-year old alleged driver of the getaway motorcycle; and the 39-year old Marjun Abayon Cabug of San Antonio, Don Carlos, Bukidnon, who also served as a lookout. They were brought to Police Station 9 in Barangay Nazareth Friday afternoon.
Viña said two cal. 45 pistols with magazine and several live ammunition and one hand grenade were seized from the suspects.
He said the murder weapon, also a cal. 45 pistol was taken by the fleeing Tortosa.
Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office director Benjamin Acorda Jr., said the swift arrest of the suspects less than 24 hours from the killing, came when CCTV cameras at the junction of 12th street and 29th streets caught the suspects fleeing on board a motorcycle.
Acorda said the CCTV caught the suspects fleeing towards Adela Subdivision in Barangay Camaman-an.
He said residents in Adela Subdivision pointed to an apartment where they saw a white-blue-red Rusi motorcycle similar to the one driven by the suspects.
Police raided the apartment and arrested Cabug who allegedly stayed behind in the apartment as Nacua and Adlao went to Balingoan to get the P150,000 they were supposed to get for killing Andutan.
Cabug allegedly squealed, prompting the police to deploy a team to Balingoan town to make the arrests.
“We again reiterate, our sincere appreciation to the community for their information. Let us continue helping one another especially in resolving crimes,” Acorda said.
Acorda and investigators have kept mum on the possible motive of the killing of Andutan pending the outcome of their investigation. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
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