Suspect in Isabela town mayor’s slay surrenders to Quezon City police

Slain mayor Erlinda Domingo. Ryan Santiago, one of six suspects in the murder of Domingo, 51, surrendered to the Quezon City Police District on Tuesday evening. Photo by VILLAMOR VISAYA JR./INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON

MANILA, Philippines—Exactly a week after the assassination of a lady mayor outside a Quezon City inn, one of the suspects in the ambush of Maconacon, Isabela, mayor Erlinda Domingo has turned himself in to authorities.

Ryan Santiago, one of six suspects in the murder of Domingo, 51, surrendered to the Quezon City Police District on Tuesday evening.

Senior Supt. Neri Ilagan, deputy director for operations, said the suspect was being questioned as of Tuesday night on the murder of the mayor and the wounding of her bodyguard, Bernard Plasos, in an attack outside the Park Villa Apartelle on the night of Jan. 22.

Ilagan said Santiago personally surrendered to the QCPD director, Senior Supt. Richard Albano.

Earlier, Albano said he has received surrender feelers from Santiago through a mediator. The district director learned that Santiago had “wanted to clear his name” after being tagged in the Domingo ambush.

No other details are available as of press time.

Santiago is facing a complaint for murder and attempted murder which will undergo a preliminary investigation before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

Earlier, his cohorts Christian Pajenado, Michael Domingo, Mary Grace Abduhadi and her husband, alleged gunman Marsibal Indaman Abduhadi alias “Bagwis” and “Angga” were slapped with murder, attempted murder and a string of charges for the ambush on Domingo and her driver-bodyguard.

With Santiago’s arrest, only one suspect remains at large—a certain “Khalid,” according to the QCPD’s referral letter to the prosecutor’s office.

Ilagan said Santiago would be summoned by the investigating prosecutor during the preliminary investigation for a confrontation with two eyewitnesses.