|
Friday, May 18, 2007
Lawmaker, aides face raps over slay of bet, son
By Ben O. Tesiorna, Carlo P. Mallo and Rhodamae M. Hernandez
DAVAO CITY -- The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Southern Mindanao is preparing to file charges against a gubernatorial candidate in Davao del Sur and four of his bodyguards for the killing of a political rival and his son in Malita Wednesday afternoon.
Police have in custody one of the suspects who is being treated at a hospital in Davao City for gunshot wounds sustained during the alleged shootout that killed former Davao del Sur Provincial Board Member Isidro Sarmiento, 67, who is seeking the mayoralty post in Malita, and his son Danny, 39.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007 Coverage
Southern Mindanao NBI executive officer Renato Mandawe said they also have in custody a witness who was at the scene when the incident happened.
The witness, according to Mandawe, identified Davao del Sur Representative Claude Bautista and his bodyguards as those who shot and killed the Sarmientos.
Claude's brother, Governor Benjamin Joseph Bautista, is also running for mayor in Malita against the elder Sarmiento, an ally of Davao del Sur Representative Douglas Ra. Cagas.
Political rivals Cagas and Claude are in a neck-to-neck battle for governor of Davao del Sur and the canvassing is still ongoing as of Thursday.
"We are checking on the testimony of the witness. Tingnan natin kung material talaga ang mga sinasabi niya (We'll see if his testimony is a material one)," Mandawe told Sun.Star Davao.
"He (witness) was two arms-length from the shootout and nung pagkasa ng baril, umalis na 'yung mga tao at siya lang ang naiwan. Hindi siya napansin kasi naka motor siya," Mandawe said.
He said a joint investigation is now being conducted by the NBI, police, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
The Bautistas have denied that Claude was the one who shot the victims, saying it was the bodyguard who did but only in defense of the congressman who was allegedly fired at first by the Sarmientos.
Governor Bautista said in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon that the Sarmientos tried to snatch the election returns and this caused the confrontation.
The elder Sarmiento is reportedly trailing behind the incumbent governor at the time the incident happened.
In a television interview Wednesday evening, Representative Bautista admitted it was his bodyguard who shot and killed the Sarmientos because they shot at him.
Representative Bautista said before the incident, he received information that some election returns were taken from the municipal office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Malita.
Bautista immediately went to the Comelec office and learned that it was the son of the elder Sarmiento who allegedly took the election returns.
According to Bautista, he proceeded to the residence of the Sarmientos to talk with Danny. But in the middle of their conversation, the congressman said, Isidro suddenly appeared carrying a pistol and started firing at them, hitting one of his bodyguards.
He said his bodyguards immediately returned fire and killed the mayoralty candidate in the process.
Danny, upon seeing his father lying dead, pounced upon one of the bodyguards. The bodyguard shot him.
Regional Police Director Andres Caro identified one of the suspects in their custody as Tito Alipaopao, of Ponce Street, Davao City. Alipaopao is a personal bodyguard of Representative Bautista.
Alipaopao, it was learned, lived in the home of the Bautistas.
Caro said they have already placed Alipaopao under custody and have conducted paraffin test on the suspect to determine if he had indeed fired his gun and killed the Sarmientos.
In a follow up at the hospital where Alipaopao is admitted, it was learned that the suspect was admitted under another name, Baylon. The police also prohibited anyone from visiting him.
Caro said they have invited Bautista and his other bodyguards to give their side but could not locate the congressman as of Thursday morning.
Caro said Bautista and his other bodyguards would also be made to undergo paraffin tests.
The Sarmientos died after an alleged shootout with Representative Bautista's bodyguards at around 2:30 p.m. of May 16. The victims sustained several gunshot wounds in the different parts of their body.
Isidro died on the spot while his son Danilo was declared dead while undergoing treatment at the Fanlo Medical Clinic in Malita.
The police recovered one super .38 caliber pistol and with one empty shell in the chamber and one magazine inside the pistol grip containing five live ammos.
Eleven empty shells from a .45 caliber pistol and four slugs were also recovered from the crime scene.
While one slug from an undetermined caliber and another slug from a .45 caliber pistol were also extracted from the body of the victims. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (May 18, 2007 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Priest still leads in Pampanga guv race