Palace welcomes suspect’s arrest in reporter’s ambush

Malacañang has expressed satisfaction over the arrest of one of the suspects in the March 11 shooting of Fernan Angeles, The Daily Tribune reporter who covers the Palace.

“We welcome the progress in the investigation but it is merely a step in bringing the perpetrator to the bars of justice,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Sunday.

On Saturday, the police arrested Faisal Sancopan after he was tagged as one of the men who beat up Angeles who was also shot seven times near his house in Pasig City.

Angeles had told his wife shortly after the attack that a certain Faisal had shot him.

The Pasig police announced the arrest after officials in the Eastern Police District drew flak from Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo for drawing media attention to a pending arrest warrant against Angeles over a 2011 drug possession case.

Robredo had asked the police to focus on finding Angeles’ attackers first.

Angeles remains confined at Pasig City District General Hospital.

Meanwhile, a Pasig councilor said that Sancopan gave himself up to authorities because he wanted to clear his name.

In a phone interview, Councilor Rodrigo Asilo said that Sancopan sent surrender feelers to his office on Saturday morning.

“Two people from the Muslim community told me Faisal would surrender to clear his name,” Asilo said. “When I saw him, he said he did not shoot Angeles. I don’t know if we should believe him. He is a suspect anyway.”

Faisal surrendered to members of the Pasig police at around 5 p.m. on Saturday at the boundary of Cainta and Pasig in the floodway area.

Faisal was identified after Angeles picked his picture from among those presented to him by the police.

Senior Superintendent Jessie Cardona, Pasig police chief, said despite Faisal’s arrest, the case has yet to be solved because they were still looking for two other men involved in the shooting.