11 charged for slay of Laguna councilor

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna , Philippines   – A special investigation task group has filed charges of murder and frustrated murder against 11 suspects in the killing of a San Pablo City councilor and his two supporters last June 24.

Senior Superintendent Rene Diaz Ong, regional chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and head of the task group, said they have charged the 11 identified suspects in the killing of councilor Danilo Yang and several John Does with the Department of Justice.

Among those charged were Pelagio Masongsong, Jerry Araneta, Angel Masongsong, Lino Vecina alias Maysel, Jimmy Mileda, and a certain Ka Vic/Tatay, Jake/Pacquiao, Jommel, Dodot, and Onte.

Ong said Mileda died in the shootout while Onte surrendered to authorities and turned witness in the slay case.

Onte also gave himself up and executed an extrajudicial confession assisted by a lawyer, Ong said.

Yang, together with his bodyguard Brando de los Santos and supporter Manolo Barcenas, was waylaid while attending a barangay fiesta in San Pablo City.

Yang, 45, was the president of the Laguna Councilors’ League, earning him a seat in the provincial board representing the third district of Laguna.

Another bodyguard of Yang, Jovy Lopez, was wounded in the ambush, while 17-year-old Mark Edward Herrera was hit by a stray bullet.   – With Ed Amoroso