Cop tagged in killing of assistant election officer in Palawan

By Ronron
April 7, 2007

A policeman was tagged in the killing last Tuesday night of an election officer in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan province.

Chief Supt. Napoleon Cachuela, chief of the Region IV-B (MIMAROPA) Police, identified PO1 Alfredo Carandang as the alleged killer of Puerto Princesa City Assistant Election Officer Petronilo Amorin, Jr.

In his report to Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Calderon, Cachuela said Carandang belongs to the 413rd Provincial Mobile Group (PMG), which is based at Barangay Culanga, Taytay, Palawan.

“With the identification of the gunman, we can consider this (case) as solved already,” said Supt. Reynaldo Jagmis, spokesman of the Special Investigation Task Group “Amorin.”

On Good Friday, a case of murder was filed against Carandang before the Puerto Princesa City Prosecutor’s Office.

Pending the preliminary investigation on the case, Carandang will be placed under the custody of the Palawan Police Provincial Office.

A separate administrative case, possible for grave misconduct, will be also conducted by the PNP against him, said Jagmis.

Cachuela and Jagmis said Carandang was positively identified by at least two witnesses, and corroborated by two others, when shown before them in a police line-up.

Carandang was considered a suspect after the cartographic sketch of the suspected gunman matched his profile.

Amorin was shot at close range, four times – two in the head, one in the stomach, and one on the leg – by his killer at around 7:15 pm last April 3 near the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum in Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City.

Police said the motive could be work-related or personal in nature.

Asked yesterday what could be Carandang’s reason for killing Amorin, Jagmis said: “He was in complete denial.”

Thus, police could not yet say if the incident is election-related. Jagmis said the ongoing investigation will hopefully reveal the truth about the motive of the killing.

Jagmis said a personal caliber 45 handgun of Carandang is now subjected to ballistics at the National Bureau of Investigation in Palawan to determine if it was the one used in the crime.

Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn had offered P1 million as reward for any one who can point at the suspect/s in the killing. The recipient of this reward money will be chosen by the task group, said Jagmis.

Police has earlier regarded the case as “isolated,” being the first of its kind in the city./DMS