Army officer, 6 others charged for P’sinan councilor’s killing

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has filed murder charges against an Army lieutenant and six others for the killing of a councilor of San Quintin town.

Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, provincial police director, told reporters that Superintendent Jonel Estomo, CIDG-Pangasinan head, filed the case last Aug. 7 against Army Lt. Roselio Cabarliza; Charo Romero, former wife of councilor Albert Sibayan; and five John Does.

Nerez said investigators are eyeing love triangle as the most probable motive behind the killing of Sibayan, who was gunned down by two motorcycle-riding men last July 1 while waiting for somebody in Barangay Alac, San Quintin town.

The killings of Sibayan and two other councilors in Pangasinan have alarmed the Pangasinan Councilors’ League led by board member Raul Sison who called on police authorities to solve them as soon as possible.

Nerez now considers the Sibayan killing already solved.

Binalonan councilor Igmedio Lariosa was gunned down last July 12, while Alcala councilor Juan Ablao was shot dead on Oct. 22 last year.

Nerez said probers have had difficulty in pursuing the Ablao case as his family refused to cooperate.

He said they are now concentrating on the Lariosa case where they are confident of a good break.

Meanwhile, Nerez said two policemen, not just one, are being investigated for the gunslaying last Aug. 2 of Agno Mayor Arthur Cabantac.

Both lawmen underwent paraffin and ballistic tests but yielded negative results.

The first policeman, who was placed under custody, was at odds with the mayor, while the other one was only dragged into the killing, Nerez said.

“What is good is they are also willing to undergo a lie detector test,” he added.

Nerez said there are witnesses to Cabantac’s killing but unfortunately they still refuse to cooperate with investigators.

This same predicament also hinders the investigation into the killing in April last year of San Carlos City Mayor Julian Resuello, who was shot dead while shaking hands with residents during the local fiesta celebration.

A suspect has been arrested but the suspected triggerman, a certain Cesar de Guzman, alias Kabesa, remains at large.

“Without community cooperation, our investigators will really have a hard time in solving these cases. I appeal to them to help us so we could altogether give justice to the bereaved families,” Nerez said.