Marikina’s most wanted criminal sought for soldier’s murder

Marikina City’s most notorious criminal is being sought by military intelligence for the killing of an Army soldier during an FX robbery last year.

Elements of the Military Intelligence Group 24 (MIG24), based in Camp Aguinaldo, have coordinated with the Marikina police for the filing of additional charges against Ricardo "Ricky" Butaslac, 32, who was collared by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) last Saturday.

"We are digging into our records for other crimes committed by Butaslac so he cannot bail out easily and return to his illegal activities," said Superintendent Sotero Ramos Jr., Marikina police chief.

Ramos is also presently coordinating with police units in Antipolo City and other nearby cities and municipalities to see if Butaslac is also wanted there.

Butaslac is now under heavy guard at the Quezon City General Hospital, where he is recuperating for a gunshot wound in the right leg.

Butaslac was wounded when he and an accomplice engaged responding police officers in a shootout after they robbed the administration office of the Muñoz Market in Quezon City last Saturday.

Butaslac identified himself as Reynaldo Pante but Ramos, with the help of an informant, traced him at the hospital. Butaslac is wanted in Marikina for a string of highway robberies and car theft.

Major Santee Cababasay, of the MIG 24, coordinated with Ramos for the neutralization of Butaslac who was tagged as the killer of Sgt. Ricardo Siuagan, a confidential agent of the unit.

According to a police report, Butaslac and two cohorts held up an FX taxi bound for Quezon City on March 1 last year. Siuagan refused to hand over his wallet and Butaslac shot him dead.

Elements of the MIG 24 case have been after Siuagan’s killers since.

According to Ramos, several victims of carjacking have been visited at the hospital to see if Butaslac had been involved.

"Some of the complainants claimed that their vehicles are forcibly taken from them and they surface and take a look at Butaslac to determine whether he has something to do with the crime," said Ramos.

Butaslac has at least 12 pending highway robbery cases in Marikina courts.

Ramos has appealed to bail processors not to help Butaslac to post bail, fearing that he might flee justice and return to his illegal activities.