3rd gunman in Isabela vice mayor slay nabbed

SAN AGUSTIN, Isabela—A third suspect in the June 19 attack at the Jones, Isabela province, town hall that killed Vice Mayor Florante Raspado and an aide of a town councilor was arrested on Friday night, police said on Sunday.

Victor Funtilara, 44, a native of Tagkawayan, Quezon province, was trying to cross the Cagayan River when he was nabbed at the foothills of Sinaoagan Sur village here at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, said Supt. Narciso Paragas, chief of the Isabela provincial police’s intelligence office.

Former soldiers arrested

Police acted on a tip that Funtilara, a part-time laborer who lives in Barangay (village) 2 in Jones, was one of the gunmen who shot and killed Raspado and Mark Anthony Agarin, an aide of Jones Councilor Lanie Uy, during a town council session on Friday morning.

Earlier on Friday, police arrested former soldiers Michael Deocariza and Reynaldo Tapia after policemen chased the supposed escape vehicle of Raspado’s killers.

The gunmen walked into the town hall, broke the glass door of the session hall and opened fire using automatic rifles, hitting Raspado and Agarin.

The San Agustin police were tipped off that Funtilara hid in a forested area here after the attack in Jones.

Used as evidence

Police said they recovered from Funtilara a loaded .45-cal. gun, two magazines, a ski mask and a mobile telephone which supposedly contained messages that may be used as evidence in the case.

Raspado served as mayor for three terms from 2004 to 2013.

Political assassinations have plagued Jones town since the murder of Mayor Jesus Sebastian, husband of incumbent Mayor Leticia Sebastian, in 2001.

Police records showed that among those killed by hired guns in Jones were municipal treasurer Mario Duerme, Councilor Rodrigo Manuel and several village officials. Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon