Monday, June 18, 2007

Police resolves killing of Bacarro Mayor in Ilocos Norte with identification and charging of suspects

By Ronron
June 17, 2007

Police has solved the case of killing of a town mayor and a councilor in Ilocos Norte last May with the identification of the suspects behind the crime and the slapping of charges against them.

Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil, Region 1 Police Director, said investigators have established that the mastermind behind the shooting to death of Bacarra Mayor Philip Velasco and councilor Marcelino Andaya last May 20 was the town’s Vice Mayor, Villamor Ramelb.

Ramelb ran against Velasco during the May 14 polls but lost.

Bataoil said Ramelb was implicated in the crime after messages stored in the cellular phone of the slain gunman, identified as Alexander Biso, were traced to have come from him and his two colleagues, Emerson Alzate and Richard Bingayen.

“Our investigators from Task Force Velasco listed down all the messages and calls from the phone recovered from the gunman. During the process, they were able to trace Alzate, Bingayen, and Ramelb,” Bataoil said.

A witness also testified that the cellular phone recovered from Biso was similar to the one used by Alzate, added Bataoil.

Bataoil said Biso was hired by Ramelb to assassinate Velasco for P1.5 million. It was not yet known if a pay-off took place.

The motive is believed to be political in nature, considering that Ramelb lost to Velasco, said Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Director Sr. Supt. Roman Felix.

Last Thursday, charges of two counts of murder and multiple frustrated murder were filed against Ramelb, Bingayen and Alzate before the Ilocos Norte Provincial Prosecutor’s Office located in Laoag City, said Felix.

Aside from killing Velasco and Andaya, at least three other persons were also wounded in the shooting incident that happened inside the Bacarra Municipal Auditorium while the town was celebrating the Bacarra Farmer’s Day.

Biso was shot dead by Velasco’s security escort during the incident.

The three suspects remain at large as of this writing./DMS

1 comment:

Unknown said...

i know the whole story what happen this story and the other suspect now alias Erik now is the one working now to Mayor Benedict Calderon of Roxas Isabela.You can find out if you want and then Emerson Alzate i heard that he is in Bataan or Bulacan....But if you catch Erik Alzate you can find out where is Emerson now alias Tony