7 guns-for-hire tagged in slay of PDEA agent, son

SAN FERNANDO, La Union, Philippines  – Authorities have identified seven suspected guns-for-hire from Ilocos Sur and Abra as the ones who killed an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and his 16-year-old son in Candon City, Ilocos Sur last Friday.

PDEA Assistant Secretary Rodolfo Caisip and Col. Roberto Opeña, PDEA regional director, told reporters at the PDEA office here yesterday that police are now closing in on the suspects who were allegedly hired by a prominent person to kill agent Edward Gautani Sr. who was involved in monitoring illegal drug cases.   

“Some of the suspects were already identified as well as the mastermind. Investigators have to double their time in working on the case to solve it as soon as possible. This is the price (Gautani had to pay) for doing his job right. Even his son was sacrificed,” Caisip said.

Gautani and his son, Edward Jr., were gunned down while they were having supper along with four other family members at the resort of the PDEA agent’s mother.

Before the shooting, two men approached the Gautanis and ordered four bottles of beer. And when one of the family members left to get their order, one of the two pulled out a gun and shot Gautani Sr. at close range.

Edward Jr. came to his father’s rescue but was shot, too. 

Caisip said the killing was work-related and that the mastermind is capable of paying guns-for-hire.

“He (Gautani) was not a criminal; he only did his job to eliminate the drug menace. (They even included his innocent son.) The suspects are the criminals and the mastermind is involved in illegal drug activities,” he added.

Opeña said a police team is now pursuing the suspects who would be rounded up as soon as an arrest warrant is issued for them.

“We already got their names. They are still in the area. There are strong leads linking them to the murder,” he said.

Opeña described Gautani as very active in gathering intelligence information, which had resulted in 15 successful anti-illegal drug operations.

“His job as a ‘case monitor’ was very sensitive. He was also in charge of counter-checking graft and corruption in illegal drug cases if there were government authorities or private individuals involved. He’s a big loss to the PDEA,” Opeña said.

Opeña and Caisip went to Candon yesterday to attend the wake of the Gautanis who will be buried today.