Murder charges filed vs cooperative president's killers

LAOAG CITY , Philippines  – Police filed murder and attempted murder charges yesterday before the Ilocos Norte prosecutor’s office against four men and two unidentified cohorts in connection with the slaying of Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative president Lorenzo Rey Ruiz on Friday.

The suspected killers were earlier identified by eyewitnesses. Named in the charge sheet were Saturnino Pagaling, the alleged triggerman; Victor Cahodoy, Noel Aurellano, who are all from Pagsanajan in Badoc, Ilocos Norte; Jonathan Bagamaspad, an INEC employee, of Suyo in Dingras, Ilocos Norte; and two John Does.

Provincial police director Senior Superintendent Benjamin Lusad told newsmen that the suspects took refuge inside a farm in Currimao town after the slaying incident.

It was learned that Bagamaspad who is believed to be the mastermind in Ruiz’s murder is facing an administrative case for malversation of INEC funds.

This developed as reports said that Bagamaspad’s co-accussed are allegedly guns for hire operating in the Ilocos region.

The same reports said that the Ruiz-led INEC board was about to wind up its investigation on Bagamaspad’s case after which the board will promulgate a decision. 

The slain INEC president, it was learned, wished to get over the case which involved a large amount of money before his term expires late this month and run for reelection next month as Dingras’ INEC board representative.

An outstanding cooperative leader, Ruiz was expected to win back handily his board seat and eventually regain the leadership of the INEC Board.

The victim’s daughter Cheeko who is a deskperson of The Star, earlier said that her father had received death threats through phone calls and text messages but he was not telling his family about it.

“He didn’t want us to be alarmed,” she said adding that they learned about the threats to his life from his aides.

She learned that her father was for some time security alert but relaxed later on when the phoned-in threats subsided.  

His assassins saw this as the opportunity to go for the kill, a local observer noted.

Unmask the mastermind

The family of Ruiz said they hope the identification of the suspects would lead to the unmasking of the mastermind.

“We hope the identification of the suspects will lead to the mastermind. My father was kind-hearted and what I know was that he was up for re-election next month as our town representative (Dingras) to the INEC,” said Cheeko, in an interview.

Cheeko is a deskwoman at The STAR. Her brother, JC Bello Ruiz, on the other hand, is a reporter of the Manila Bulletin. She said their family was still in a state of shock.

Her father knew there were plans against his life, based on the intelligence reports from the police confirming a plot to kill him and that is why he had been extra cautious.