Cop held for slay of Capiz official, 2 others

ILOILO CITY — Police have taken into custody a policeman-bodyguard of the mayor of Tapaz, Capiz for last week’s gunslaying of the town’s vice mayor, his bodyguard and a barangay official.

Politics, according to Task Force Gardose, was emerging as the likely motive behind the killing of Vice Mayor Victor Gardose, his bodyguard Anton Gequillo and Barangay Karida chairman Leonardo Jimeno last Saturday night.

A ski mask-wearing man shot the three with a caliber .45 pistol as they alighted from Gardose’s vehicle to attend a coronation at the civic center in Barangay Taft, Tapaz town.

Gardose was reportedly planning to run for mayor against the brother of Mayor Romualdo Exmundo Castro, who is on his third and last term.

Senior Superintendent Reynaldo Rafal, head of Task Force Gardose, told The STAR that PO3 Danilo Gelilang has been restricted to quarters at the provincial police camp.

Rafal said Gelilang, a bodyguard of Castro, will be prosecuted for possessing an unlicensed caliber .45 pistol, which tested positive for gunpowder residue.

He said the police officer is considered a suspect in the killing, although he added that hired guns were also involved.

"The motive is politics. Our investigation is proceeding toward that direction. PO3 Gelilang is a suspect and we are digging deeper into his possible role," he said.

"His caliber .45 pistol was not issued by the Philippine National Police and allegedly borrowed from a military man," he added.

Reports said witnesses saw Gelilang at the crime scene, although Castro was in Manila when the killing occurred.