INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Eight suspects involved in the death of a tricycle driver running as village councilor in Masbate City face murder and frustrated murder charges, according to Masbate police chief Lt. Col. Ariel Neri.
Neri said that of the eight, only two suspects were involved in the shooting that killed 44-year-old Juvy Pintor and injured incumbent village chairman Joseph Martinez at a wake along Purok 2, Barangay Maingaran, last October 22.
“Doon sa walo, dalawa lang po ang na-identify na bumaril, si Ruel Inopia at Albert Aganan,” Neri told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview on Wednesday.
(Of the eight, two shot the victim — Ruel Inopia and Albert Aganan.)
However, only Inopia — son of opponent village chairman candidate Dolores Inopia — was arrested while Aganan and six others, identified as Bong Bong Aganan, Eddie Badilla, Friday Inopia, Iraq Leo Andaya, Angelo Amaro De Jesus, and Allan Amaro, remain at large.
Although this is the case, the Masbate police chief clarified that all eight face the same charges.
“Na-file na natin ang kaso sa walo, pero ito lang talagang isa ang na-inquest natin, yung bumaril,” Neri told reporters in a separate phone interview also on Wednesday.
(We already filed the case against the eight suspects, but only Inopia underwent inquest proceedings.)
READ: Masbate village councilor bet shot dead
Non-election-related case
When asked if the case was election-related violence, Neri quickly answered no, saying that the shooting incident did not meet a particular parameter that would classify it as poll-related.
He explained that Masbate police operatives and their Armed Forces of the Philippines counterpart conducted an intervention and implemented a security measure, which helped ease the tension within the barangay after the incident.
“Yung parameter una, yung biktima ay dapat kandidato. Ang hindi na-comply na [parameter] ay kung apektado na ba ang electoral proceedings sa barangay na yon? Then nagkaroon ba ng political tension sa barangay na yon?” Neri said.
(One of the parameters is that a victim needs to be a candidate. Does the case affect the electoral proceedings of the barangay? Or is there political tension in that barangay?)
“Initially may epekto siya pero dahil sa ginawa nating intervention security measure nag normal na ang sitwasyon doon,” he added.
(Initially, there was tension, but after our intervention, the situation returned to normal.)