Cops Backtrack Footage to Identify Killer of P’sinan Kapitana

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Upon the instruction of Pangasinan Provincial Police Office Director Col. Jeff Fanged to his cops to identify the killers, we could only cross our fingers that the perpetrator who treacherously murdered Mangaldan Poblacion Kapitana Tonette Morillo, 60, last December 7 with seven bullets of the lethal .45 caliber handgun will be identified the soonest and thrown to the slammer.

Mangaldan Poblacion Kapitana Tonette Morillo

On the spot-report by the police and signed by Col. Fanged – a friend and a long serving two-fisted “Sheriff”, err, Chief of Police of Mangaldan, that he sent to my Messenger when I requested it said:

 “Review and backtracking of CCTV footages and continuous follow-up investigation/operation is still ongoing for the possible identification and arrest of the suspects and to determine the motive of the incident”.

The backtracking of the video resulted in the past the apprehension of many malefactors. One of them was the hired killer Joel Escorial who ambushed to death acerbic tongued radio commentator Percieval Mabasa AKA Percy Lapid. Escorial identification sent to the national televisions and his fear to be executed by his principal made him rat to the cops then Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerard Bantag .Bantag – an alumnus of the Philippines National Police Academy - whom he said was affronted by Lapid’s tirades like his alleged illegal acquired wealth.

 It would not take long that – excuse me for being redundant -  the long arm of the law will get the absconding Bantag who until now keeps mocking the authorities like his pet peeve Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to get him at all cost.

“Get me if you can!” as what criminals would mock the authorities as seen on the celluloid screen.

If the police under Col. Fanged immediately got in custody Jason Marquez Vicente, 32, a tricycle driver more than a day after he conspired with hired killer Kelly Doroy Rosario, 54, Chief Tanod (night guard) of Barangay Dorongan Punta in Mangatarem who shot to death Arnel Adolfo Flormata, 41 in an evening rally for the village Kapitan’s election last October 22 in Brgy. Bayaoas, Aguilar and the immediate identification of the master mind Brgy. Bayaoas Kapitana Maria Magnolia Repascol Gelido, 58, - a Butch too like Morillo – and the duo’s arrest several hours later after the pronouncement of Vicente, we prayed that the culprits behind the assassination of the Kapitana in the landlocked Mangaldan will be exposed and eventually arrested.

According to the report by the two Sergeants of the Mangaldan police sent to me by the provincial director, while Morillo was driving at around 6 p.m last Thursday “her white Mitsubishi Montero Sports Vehicle bearing plate number IAC 3712 traversing the said road heading to her 2nd house in Brgy Tebag, Mangaldan, Pangasinan when one of the two suspects shot her with a Cal. 45 firearm and left after the incident heading (to) Brgy Poblacion, Magaldan (sic), Pangasinan on-board their getaway motorcycle. As a result, the victim sustained multiple gunshot wound(s) and rushed to Region 1 Medical Center ANNEX (at) Brgy. Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City for medical treatment. However, (Morillo was) pronounce(d) dead on arrival by the attending physician”.

I lauded how fast the police in Mangaldan responded after the 6 p.m killing and the report of a concerned citizen to the cops at 6 :15 pm, the peace officers arrived at the scene of the crime at 6:17 pm of December 7.

                                  I MET MORE THAN A WEEK AGO THE VICTIM

After the State of the Municipal Address (SOMA) of Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno – that was attended by Pangasinan Governor Monmon Guico – the invited guests (except the Guv) proceeded to the office of the Mayor at dusk of November 30 for  a banquet - as it coincided with the birthday of Parayno -  when I bumped into Kap Morillo.

“Hi Kap Tonette!” I quipped.

“Hi Mortz!” she retorted.

Son of a gun! We could not just predict the fate of one person. One day you’re animatedly talking with each other while on the next day he or she got a bullet hole in the head while slumping without life to the car’s steering wheel.

I hope the sleuthing of the peace officers under the tutelage of Col. Fanged bear fruits so we could see the Evil Reincarnate called Principal by Induction behind the grisly killing catapulted to the brig while the authority throws the key somewhere so they would suffer the reclusion perpetua (life sentence) for their dastardly act.

Meanwhile, Secretary Benjur Abalos of the Department of Interior and Local Government - accompanied by Fanged - visited the first wake (December 8) of Morillo at a funeral home in the town. Abalos pledged P500, 000 reward money to anyone who could tip the authority about the identification of the killers while the provincial director was looking for two angles -that he did not want to divulge for the meantime - that caused the murder.