7 charged for killing of Ormoc b’gay head

ORMOC CITY – Police filed murder charges against seven people, including an outgoing barangay chairman here, for last Tuesday’s killing of the village official’s successor.

Senior Inspector Federico Sanchez, chief of police precinct 3, identified the suspects as James Montero, Ricardo Cabacoy, Iper Hermias, Dodo Chavez, Tupi Celedio, Eddie Calimutan, and Eliseo Sano, outgoing chairman of Barangay Esperanza.

Montero and Cabacoy were arrested hours after the killing of Rogelio Mingao. Calimutan, a contractor, was tagged as the alleged mastermind.

Police said Sano was included in the charge sheet after Mingao’s widow, Evelyn, told probers that he had threatened her husband prior to the killing over payments to Calimutan for the construction of the barangay hall.   – Roberto Dejon