Laguna mayor's brod tagged in board member's slay

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines  – Laguna police director Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz said Task Force Paras will file charges against Edwin Amante, a brother of San Pablo City Mayor Vicente Amante, who was tagged as the mastermind in the killing of provincial board member Reynaldo Paras and his bodyguard-driver in San Pablo City Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the city government of San Pablo and the office of Laguna Gov. Jeorge Ejercito raised to P800,000 the reward for the arrest of the gunmen and the mastermind in the killing.

Double murder cases were filed on Friday before the San Pablo City regional trial court against Eugene Bacoto and his cohorts Ricky Valdez, alias Avatar; one alias EL; and one alias Budoy, who remain at large.

“We consider this case partially solved less than 48 hours after it occurred. We will never stop until we arrest the brain and other culprits,” Chief Superintendent James Melad, Calabarzon police director, said. 

Melad said Paras reported to the provincial police headquarters several hours before he was ambushed that he received reliable information that Edwin hired a gun-for-hire to kill him.

Edwin is on the watchlist order of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Cruz said.

“The statement of the victim (Paras) and the circumstances point to the involvement of Edwin as the mastermind,” Cruz said.

Cruz said Paras told him that Edwin accused him (Paras) of coordinating a raid at his residence by PDEA agents.

The San Pablo City mayor, meanwhile, went to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group office here to clear his name and offer his help in resolving the case at the soonest possible time.