Gunman’s accomplice inside restaurant eyed in Lanot’s murder

Did the gunman who killed former Pasig City Rep. Henry Lanot have an accomplice inside the restaurant when he was shot last April 13?

Metro police chief Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr. admitted yesterday that this angle is being vigorously pursued by Task Force Lanot, which was tasked to solve the former congressman’s murder.

Razon said the accomplice could have tipped the gunman off of Lanot’s presence and destroyed evidence to mislead police probers.

"What we noticed was that the gunman appeared cool and in high spirits which could only be possible if he had an accomplice," said Razon in an interview.

Lanot was having lunch with a close friend, former Caloocan City Rep. Romeo Santos, a political adviser of Rep. Dodot Jaworski, at the Jade Palace restaurant along Pasig Blvd. in Barangay Ugong when the lone assasin put a bullet in his left ear. He died at the Pasig City Medical Hospital.

Lanot’s eldest son Ken and supporters strongly believed that the killing was politically motivated.

Razon pointed out, however, that all angles in Lanot’s murder are being looked into by Task Force Lanot, headed by Chief Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela, director of the Eastern Police District (EPD).

Valenzuela said their investigation is moving forward but declined to divulge information so as not to jeopardize ongoing investigation.

Investigators said the gunman arrived at the restaurant at least 30 minutes ahead of Lanot. When Lanot seated himself at the table occupied by Santos, the gunman, carrying a backpack casually entered the restaurant and was met by a waiter who inquired about the number of his companions. The gunman dismissed the waiter and proceeded to the counter to ask for the location of the comfort room. When he emerged from the toilet minutes later, the gunman approached Lanot and fired once at close range.

Santos said the gunmanhid his gun in his left pocket and left the restaurant.

An official of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) claimed they have at least 10 witnesses who saw the gunman holding his gun in his right hand while walking out of the building.

Chief Superintendent Ernesto Belen, head of the PNPs crime laboratory said Lanot was shot with a caliber .45 automatic pistol.

However, responding policemen found no empty shell at the crime scene which Belen said could have helped a lot in identifying the owner of the gun used in the shooting.

Razon suspects that the gunman’s accomplice could have kept the vital evidence to delay the investigation.

Another NCRPO official who requested anonymity said they are now conducting a background investigation on all those present at the restaurant at the time Lanot was shot to pinpoint the gunman’s accomplice.

PNP chief Director Arturo Lomibao and the Pasig City government have offered P100,000 each for information leading to the solution of Lanot’s murder.

Because of the reward money, at least five witnesses have surfaced but all of them failed the polygraph test. — Non Alquitran