NPA claims suspect in Guingona ambush a fall guy

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – The New People’s Arm (NPA) claimed yesterday that the suspect arrested last Sunday for the ambush on then Gingoog City Mayor Ruthie Guingona last April is a “fall guy.”

In a text message and in an interview over Bombo Radyo Cagayan de Oro City, NPA spokesman for Mindanao Jorge Madlos alias Ka Oris said Reynaldo Agcopra Gundaya alias Ka Tarik is not an NPA member.

“He has never been a member of the New People’s Army, he is a fall guy,” he said.

Madlos said Gundaya was the second fall guy that the military and police had arrested.

The first one was a certain Dodo Limpomunan, he added. Sen. Teofisto Guingona III said: “We have not verified if they are really the suspects.

Weare still in the process of finding out.”

Madlos criticized the Gingoog City Prosecutor’s Office for believing all the lies that the authorities had fed it.

“We are worried that many fall guys, mostly helpless civilians, will soon be arrested,” he said.

“In fact, they already filed cases against 27 suspects for multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder. A majority of them are innocent civilians and did not take part in the ambush.”

Gundaya was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Mirabeaus Undalok of the Regional Trial Court, 10th Judicial Region, Branch 43.

Witnesses have identified Gundaya as part of the NPA unit that ambushed Guingona’s convoy.

Ruthie Guingona is the wife of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona. The present Gingoog City mayor is their daughter Marie Guingona.– Ben Serrano, Christina Mendez