5 charged for slay try on Ilocos Norte dean

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Five persons were charged for Thursday night’s shooting of the dean of the College of Law at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU).

Jomar Quezada, Reynaldo Pagatpatan, Jimmy Bautista, Adel Ranchez and Cristopher Agunat were charged with frustrated murder for the shooting of lawyer Ramon Leano.

Quezada, the alleged gunman; and Pagatpatan, driver of the getaway motorcycle; were arrested in Pinili town minutes after the shooting.

 A shotgun, a .45-caliber pistol, a motorcycle, two cell phones and P20,000 in cash were seized from the suspects.

Ranchez and Agunat, who remain at large, and Bautista were allegedly exchanging text messages to the victim and Pagatpatan before the shooting.       

Bautista, a security guard at MMSU,  denied involvement in the slay attempt, saying he was just an acquaintance of Pagatpatan from their hometown of Badoc. 

Superintendent Jeffrey Gorospe, chief of the public information office of Ilocos Norte police, said Leano, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds, is recuperating  at a hospital. – Teddy Molina, Charlie Lagasca, Raymund Catindig