Additional reward up vs P'sinan mayor's slay brains

CALASIAO, Pangasinan – An additional reward is up for anyone who could provide vital information that will help police probers identify the mastermind in the Aug. 2 gunslaying of Agno Mayor Arthur Cabantac.

Pangasinan mayors agreed to put up the additional reward in yesterday’s meeting presided over by their president, Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico Jr., after Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, provincial police director, briefed them on the progress of the investigation.

Binmaley Mayor Simplicio Rosario proposed giving an additional reward, saying that unless the mastermind is unmasked and put behind bars, the case could not be considered solved.

The reward money will come from the personal funds of the 44 mayors, each of whom will shell out an initial P5,000 for the additional reward. They earlier had contributed P10,000 each for the capture of the three suspects.

Nerez told the mayors that murder charges were filed last week against Jorge Saulo, the alleged gunman; barangay captain Rodrigo Miranda and chief tanod Gener Sibinario, both of Barangay Sto. Tomas, Aliaga, Nueva Ecija; and five John Does.

Sta. Barbara Mayor Reynaldo Velasco, executive vice president of the Pangasinan Mayors’ League, said the P500,000 reward originally put up by the league and Gov. Amado Espino Jr. will be given once the three suspects are arrested.

He commended Nerez and his team for their efforts in solving the case but urged them to work harder to identify and arrest the mastermind.

“We will not be completely happy until we identify the mastermind,” he said.

Velasco said the mayors wanted to show to Cabantac’s family that they are all-out in their support to solve the case.

Nerez thanked the mayors “for giving us the catalyst to pursue this case.”

He assured them that the police are giving their best and conducting a thorough investigation to unmask the mastermind and their cohorts.

He said they have information that the suspects were the same ones behind other killings in the third, fifth and sixth congressional districts in Pangasinan.

“We will never rest until we have gathered enough evidence to indict all perpetrators, especially the mastermind,” Nerez told the mayors.

He said their ultimate goal is to make an airtight case against the five John Does.

Cabantac was gunned down with M-16 Armalite rifles while he was playing mahjong with some friends at a neighbor’s house in Poblacion East, Agno town.