Cop, 3 others charged in ambush-slay of Bulacan exec, driver

BULLET-RIDDLED The Mitsubishi Montero of Bulacan Board Member Ramilito Capistrano is sprayed with bullets during an ambush on Oct. 3, resulting in his death and that of his driver. —Contributed photo

CITY OF MALOLOS, BULACAN, Philippines — A policeman assigned in Camp Crame, the Philippine National Police headquarters in Quezon City, and three others were charged with two counts of murder on Monday in connection with the killing of Bulacan Provincial Board Member Ramilito Capistrano and his driver early this month.

Police Col. Satur Ediong, the provincial police director, led the filing of the complaint before the Bulacan Prosecutor’s Office against Police Staff Sgt. Ulysses Bernal Castro Pascual, a Navotas City resident, his cousin Cesar Mayoraldo Gallardo Jr., also from Navotas, and two individuals identified by the aliases “Lupin” and “Jeff.”

READ: Romualdez calls for calm amid ambush-slay of Bulacan board exec

At a press conference following the filing of charges, Ediong revealed the suspects used a variety of firearms during the attack, including a 9 mm pistol, a. 45-caliber pistol, and a .38-caliber revolver.

Investigators said a magazine for an Uzi firearm and 50 spent shells were recovered from the crime scene.

Key evidence, including footage from multiple security cameras on Bulacan roads and highways, as well as statements from three witnesses, helped Task Force Capistrano, which Ediong heads, identify the suspects in the Oct. 3 slaying.

Reward

Ediong declined to confirm whether the suspects were hired gunmen, although he expressed belief that a mastermind was behind Capistrano’s killing. But authorities said the motive for the killing remains unclear.

“We will uncover the motive once we have apprehended the suspects,” Ediong said.

A P50,000 reward has been offered by Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando, with support from Vice Gov. Alexis Castro and private donors, for information leading to the arrest of the four suspects.

Capistrano, 56, and his driver, Shedrick Suarez, 27, were killed instantly when their black Mitsubishi Montero was ambushed at around 6:30 p.m. in Barangay Ligas here.

Their vehicle was sprayed with bullets, with over 20 bullet holes found on the windshield and more than 10 on the side of Suarez.

The suspects, who had been tailing Capistrano’s vehicle, suddenly parked their Mitsubishi Adventure on the roadside, approached the Montero, and opened fire. Two staff of Capistrano seated in the back managed to escape unharmed.

Capistrano, who was buried on Sunday, had served as barangay chair of Caingin in San Rafael and was president of the Association of Barangay Captains for Bulacan, earning him a seat on the provincial board.

Condemnation

Castro, who described Capistrano as family, vowed the case would not be forgotten or added to the statistics of unsolved murders.

Fernando condemned the killing as a “major assault on public servants,” noting it was the “first time a board member has been killed right after attending a regular session at the Capitol.”

He then warned the suspects: “We have information that your lives are in danger. Cooperate with us, surrender and tell us who your mastermind is.”

Capistrano’s family, including his wife and their two sons, have sought the help of Fernando and Castro in seeking justice for the slain Bulacan official.