Mayor arrested for Batocabe killing falls ill

Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo lies on a gurney at the UST-Legazpi Hospital in Albay after suffering from hyperventilation in his detention cell on Tuesday night, Jan. 22, 2019 (Photo courtesy of Police Regional Office 5)

LEGAZPI CITY — The Albay town mayor tagged by police as the brains behind the killing of Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe was taken to a hospital on Wednesday after he complained of chest pains while in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo was taken to the University of Santo Tomas – Legazpi Hospital in this city, where doctors noted a rise in his blood pressure and sugar levels, said Chief Insp. Ronnie Fabia, CIDG director in Albay province.

Baldo, the suspected mastermind in the fatal shooting of Batocabe and his police escort, SPO2 Orlando Diaz, during a Christmas event for the elderly in Daraga on Dec. 22, was arrested on Tuesday by a CIDG team armed with a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Elmer Lanuzo of the Regional Trial Court in Legazpi City.

Firearms recovered

Fabia said the mayor received an insulin shot for his diabetes and might undergo a two-dimensional echocardiogram (2D echo) to check his heart condition.

The CIDG said it recovered two .45-caliber pistols, an M203 grenade launcher, a magazine for an Uzi machine pistol and assorted bullets inside Baldo’s house in Barangay Tagas in Daraga.

“This is a triumph [for] every Daragueño who wish nothing but peace, order and security for our town,” Batocabe’s son, Justin, said of Baldo’s arrest.

Supt. Elcid Roldan, police chief of Ligao City, on Wednesday said the task force created to investigate Batocabe’s killing recovered a .45-caliber pistol allegedly used in shooting the lawmaker.

The pistol was found in a fishpond in Purok 3, Barangay Busay in Ligao City, Roldan said.

Another gun allegedly used in the Batocabe killing was found in a septic tank in Pili, Camarines Sur on Jan. 11.

Suspect cooperated

The fishpond in Ligao City is owned by Arnold Tibor and managed by a certain Elmer Payno, police said.

Roldan said one of the six suspects in the killing, Christopher Naval, led the police to the fishpond. The gun was still loaded with 10 live bullets, he added.

Senior Supt. Wilson Asueta, Albay police chief, said Naval threw the gun in the fishpond after the killing. He quoted Naval as saying the gun was used by Henry Yuson, one of the two shooters in police custody.

Police earlier said gun parts, including a slide, a barrel, two magazines and 20 bullets, were recovered from the septic tank in the backyard of suspect Emmanuel Rosello at Barangay Sto. Niño in Pili, Camarines Sur.

Rosello, a former militiaman, surrendered to the police a week after Batocabe’s killing.

Police said suspected gunman Rolando Arimado handed the pistol to Rosello for disposal.

Arimado, Rosello, Yuson, Naval, Jaywin Babor and Danilo Muella surrendered to the police in December.