Ex-Batangas mayor tagged in fiscal’s killing arrested

BATANGAS , Philippines   â€“ A former woman mayor of Sta. Teresita town here who lost in the recent polls is now in police custody after the alleged gunman in last Thursday’s ambush-slay of the assistant provincial prosecutor tagged her as the mastermind.

Elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) swooped down on the house of former mayor Anna Marie Mendoza in Barangay Kalayaan, Sta. Teresita town and arrested her.

Mendoza was tagged as the alleged mastermind in the killing of assistant provincial prosecutor Alexander Sandoval in an extra-judicial confession of the suspected triggerman who was arrested a few hours after the slay.

The CIDG operatives, armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Juanita Areta of Regional Trial Court Branch 86 in Taal town, seized five firearms from Mendoza’s house, including two .45-caliber pistols, an M-16 rifle, a 9-mm pistol and a .22-caliber rifle.

Senior Superintendent Rosauro Acio, Batangas police director, said the firearms have licenses, except for one of the .45-caliber pistols.

Mendoza, according to Acio, was arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm. Her husband Gene managed to escape. 

Acio said they are still building up the case against the Mendoza couple on the killing based on the statement of the self-confessed triggerman, Jayson Espejo Guerrero.

Guerrero was arrested in Taal town a few hours after the ambush in Barangay Muzon, San Luis town last Thursday morning. Sandoval died on the spot from nine bullet wounds. 

Acio said Guerrero, who hails from Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, was recruited by Mendoza’s henchman Richard Briones to be an assassin. Briones is at large.

Acio remained mum on the motive behind the killing, which was planned only last Wednesday. Mendoza’s husband allegedly offered to pay at least P50,000 for the hit job, he said. 

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct its probe on the Sandoval slay which she said was a “blatant assault against our entire justice system.”  â€“ With Ed Amoroso, Edu Punay