Ex-cop tagged in trader's slay heads crime gang

MANILA, Philippines - A former policeman arrested Monday for killing a businessman and his niece in Valenzuela City last week is the alleged leader of the Taguro crime gang, Northern Police District intelligence chief Superintendent Remus Medina said yesterday.

“Nuque is the leader of the notorious Taguro group with at least 10 members, and some of them are cops in active duty,” Medina told The STAR yesterday.

Medina said Nuque – a former Caloocan police officer – has a standing warrant of arrest for robbery in band in Bulacan and posted P100,000 bail for another robbery in band case in Manila.

He said that at least four gang members were already arrested and three killed “but two policemen are just around and one is on night shift duty.” 

On July 28, at around 2:45 p.m., retired policeman Jovencio Pagador, 53, and his niece, Haydee Paloma were shot dead then robbed of P700,000 by three motorcycle-riding gunmen in Barangay Punturin, Valenzuela City. They had just withdrawn the money from two banks in Bulacan for Pagador’s manpower agency.

Senior Police Officer 3 Jesus Sagisi said witnesses identified Nuque and Ronan Gabriel as the gunmen and Jordan Camargo as the alleged driver of the getaway motorcycle.

Sagisi said the three suspects were charged with robbery with two counts of homicide before the Valenzuela City prosecutor’s office.