BIR executive's gunman hunted

MANILA, Philippines -  The suspected gunman in Thursday’s ambush-slay of a district officer of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Antipolo City has been identified and is now the subject of a massive police manhunt.

Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr., Calabarzon police director, said four crack police teams are now hot on the trail of the suspect, a certain Armando Cariño, alias Manding.

Cariño went into hiding hours after the ambush-slay of Marcelino Yap, 46, regional district officer of BIR District 45 with offices in Antipolo City.

Two police teams from the Antipolo police and a team each from the Rizal police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group swooped down on Cariño’s residence in Barangay Pantay but failed to find him there.

“Our manhunt operations are ongoing in several areas of Rizal and nearby environs. We will get him in due time,” Pagdilao said.

Senior Superintendent Manuel Cesar Prieto, Rizal police director, said two BIR employees positively identified Cariño as Yap’s gunman.

Prieto said Cariño was traced by CIDG agents through his nephew, Andy Cariño, a security guard who owned the Honda motorcycle used in the ambush-slay.

When invited for questioning, the younger Cariño alleged that the motorcycle was stolen from him and that he reported this to the police at around 10:30 a.m. Thursday or hours after Yap’s killing.

However, CIDG operatives learned that the motorcycle was bought and being paid for by the elder Cariño but was registered in the name of his nephew, Prieto said.

Armed with the CIDG input, the Antipolo City police dug up their records and found that the elder Cariño was charged with illegal possession of firearms on Feb. 27, 2008.

Police showed a mug shot of the elder Cariño to his nephew, who positively identified him. The same picture was shown to BIR employees and two witnesses who pointed to the elder Cariño as the gunman.

A certain Litom is also a subject of the massive manhunt, said Pagdilao.

Prieto said they have no idea as yet as to the motive of the elder Cariño in killing Yap, a cousin of former National Food Authority chief, now Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap.

The victim had just been dropped off by his driver and bodyguard and was walking to his office Thursday in front of the L and M Grill and Restobar when he was shot at close range.

Yap sustained five gunshot wounds and died on the spot. His attackers were escaping on board their getaway motorcycle, when Yap’s driver, who witnessed the incident, rammed them, prompting them to leave the motorcycle and run toward Barangay Masinag.

Police suspect that the ambush-slay was work-related. Yap was instituting reforms in his office and could have stepped on the toes of influential individuals.  – With Ed Amoroso