Despite slays, Pangasinan ‘still very peaceful’ – cop chief

BUGALLON, Pangasinan , Philippines   â€“ “Of course, we can still safely say that Pangasinan is very peaceful.”

Senior Superintendent Marlou Chan, provincial police director, said so yesterday, as he alleged fears of a breakdown in peace and order following the killing of five family members in Sual town early Saturday, two fatal shootings in Bani town, and the gun attack on an errand boy of the mayor of San Manuel town.

Chan said he has ordered the Sual police to dig deeper into the murder of Ramoran brothers Ernesto Jr., 49; Rommel, 38; and Ronald, 34; their cousin Albert Martinez; and Rommel’s son Jomer, 17, all of Barangay Paitan, Sual town. 

Chan said they would have a case conference today to assess the progress of the investigation and decide whether to form a special investigation task group.

“And if we are really having difficulty, then we will form a special investigation task group,” he said. 

He said right now the situation is still “complicated” amid initial reports that the victims were allegedly involved in burglaries, cattle rustling and robberies.

“We also have to substantiate their involvement in some cases; we have to get court records or their case folder,” he said.

Police said the victims were eating when at least 10 armed men wearing ski masks barged in and tied the hands and feet of Jomer and Albert with plastic straps and hacked their heads.

Rommel, Ernesto and Ronald tried to fight back, but were shot several times.

Chan said it is understandable that Rommel’s wife still refuses to talk, so the probers are giving her more time “because after that she would eventually talk.”

He said they would do their best to solve the case immediately.

Last Friday, two other gun slayings happened in Bani town. Unidentified men shot dead in separate incidents Roderick Nanat, 18, and Edwin Europa Sr., 54, both in Barangay Ranao.

In Barangay Flores, San Manuel town, Ronnie Baculad, 45, an errand boy of incumbent Mayor Alain Jericho Perez, was shot several times with a .45-caliber pistol by fellow errand boy Efren Fernandez.

Baculad survived the gun attack and is recovering at the Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City.