Facade of the Mangaldan Police Station. (PNA File Photo courtesy of DPWH Ilocos regional office)
MANGALDAN, Pangasinan – The suspect who shot dead a 44-year-old village councilman from Barangay Salay this town was arrested Tuesday night in a neighboring town through a hot pursuit operation.
The Mangaldan police reported Wednesday that the victim, Romeo Abrazaldo Del Campo, is with his partner and their six-year-old daughter in a car driven by Percival de Guzman when shot by the motorcycle-riding suspect identified as Deo Gapulao Quilan, 30, a resident of Cabuñag Poblacion Candelaria, Quezon province.
De Guzman immediately chased the suspect and bumped the motorcycle of Quilan, who dropped his .45-caliber gun.
However, the suspect rode his motorcycle again and left.
De Guzman then rushed the victim to the hospital but Del Ocampo was declared dead on arrival.
In an interview on Wednesday, Pangasinan Police Provincial Office public information officer Capt. Renante dela Cruz said patrolling policemen responded to the incident.
“Hot-pursuit operation was conducted wherein responding personnel was fired upon by the suspect using his secondary weapon of unknown caliber, causing them to return fire. Upon reaching Barangay Tempra-Guilig, San Fabian town, Pangasinan the suspect fell from his motorcycle when he was hit on his thigh and was arrested,” he said.
The secondary weapon was not recovered and police believe that the suspect threw it away when he was being pursued.
“The motive of the suspect is still under investigation,” Dela Cruz said.
This is the second shooting incident in the town involving elected village officials and motives for both incidents have not yet been determined.
The other incident involved Barangay Poblacion chief Melinda Morillo. who died on the spot last Dec. 8 when gunmen also on a motorcycle shot her while onboard her sports utility vehicle in Barangay Tebag.
Dela Cruz said the Special Investigation Task Group Morillo will meet this week for updates on the case.
Interior and the Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. is offering a PHP500,000 reward in exchange for information that would lead to the arrest of the suspects in the village chief’s killing. (PNA)
