CAMP BGEN OSCAR M FLORENDO – Members of Task Force “Ruiz” composed of Ilocos Norte police operatives arrested two persons suspected to be involved in the shooting to death of a top Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) executive on Friday (September 4) in Currimao, Ilocos Norte.
In a report, PSSupt Benjamin Lusad, Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Director, stated that Task Force “Ruiz” which was formed to go after the killers of INEC Director Lorenzo Rey Ruiz were able to arrest Saturnino Pagaling @ Ninoy and Victor Cajudoy, both of Barangay Pagsanjan, Badoc, Ilocos Norte, following a hot pursuit operation against them.
The suspects were positively identified by eye witnesses. Another suspect, Noel Aureliano of Barangay Alay, also of Badoc town, remains at large.
An earlier report disclosed that based on investigation conducted by the Ilocos Norte police, Ruiz had just arrived at the INEC Substation Compound in Barangay Lang-ayan, Currimao, Ilocos Norte to attend a board meeting when two persons on board a motorcycle shot him in the chest while another two, also on board another motorcycle, provided back-up.
The report also stated that a security aide of Ruiz was able to return fire, hitting one of the suspects, later identified as Juanito Ancheta, 42, single and a resident of Barangay Dadalaquiten Norte, Sinait, Ilocos Sur. Ruiz and Ancheta were rushed to the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center but both were pronounced dead on arrival.
PSSupt Lusad stressed that eyewitnesses pinpointed to the arrested suspects as the assailants of the INEC executive.
“The records of the case have been submitted to the Office of the Ilocos Norte Provincial Prosecutor on September 6, 2009 for inquest proceedings,” Lusad added.
PCSupt Ramon V. Gatan, Region 1 police head, expressed satisfaction with the positive development of the case, even as he directed Task Force “Ruiz” to exert maximum effort to locate and arrest the remaining suspect. ( PNP-PRO1)
