Assassination try on Galenzoga foiled 2 nabbed suspects admit they were hired

BAYBAY CITY, LEYTE, Philippines  â€” Security guards of UNA mayoralty bet Marilou “Malot” Galenzoga foiled an assassination attempt and caught just in time two suspected guns-for-hire as they drew their guns and were about to aim these at the unaware candidate.

Galenzoga, together with her guards and supporters, was observing the deployment of PCOS machines to Barangay Balao Elementary School in this city last Monday (May 6) morning when the suspects came close to her, but her photographer Rex Llagas was quick to notice one of them drew a gun from the waist.

Llagas said the two were just about three meters away from Galenzoga, and his quick response prompted the other guards Sonny Bechayda and Elino Lorenzo to collar the two would-be assailants.

The two, who were later identified as Lotgardo Dulog Razaga, 33, and Rodel Gay Montajes, 29, both from Barangay Sabang of this city, were neutralized by Galenzoga’s guards and her angry supporters joined the fray in beating up the suspects who afterwards were turned over to the police.

Seized from the suspects were two .357-caliber magnum revolver without serial numbers, each of which was loaded with six live bullets. The police also got one Canon camera with 16-GB memory card, and a Civil Investigation Support (CIS) badge.

The police, however, refused to divulge the contents of the memory card, and they also recovered a blue motorcycle (without plate number), which was allegedly used by the arrested suspects.

In an interview with The Freeman at the police station before they were taken to the Western Leyte Provincial Hospital for treatment of their injuries after taking a beating, Montajes and Razaga debunked the allegations they were at the scene to kill Galenzoga.

They insisted that the guns were “planted” at their waists after they were beaten up by Galenzoga’s supporters. They added that they were just escorting the deployment of the PCOS machines to the school where these will undergo final testing and sealing on that day.

City Police’s PO3 Reynante Mercurio told The Freeman that the suspects had identified themselves as escorts, allegedly commissioned by a politician here, to observe the deployment of the PCOS machines to Brgy. Balao.

The suspects latere admitted they were supporters of the Cari family, reelectionists Mayor Carmen Cari, Vice Mayor Michael Cari and Rep. Jose Carlos Cari (5th dist., Leyte), who according to some allegations shouldered the hospital bills of the suspects. It was later found out that Montajes was the brother of the barangay chairman of Sabang, a known ally of the Caris.

The Freeman tried to reach Mayor Cari at the City Hall for comment on the incident but her office staff said she was out and could not be contacted at the time. Same attempts to talk to the congressman also proved futile.

Lawyer Winston Chua, one of the legal counsels of Galenzoga, said her camp would be filing three cases against the suspects for attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms, and violation of the Comelec gun ban. The lawyers of Cari, headed by Abito Cahig, Jr. refused to comment about the filing of cases, saying that any statement would only be done in court. 

Right after the incident, Galenzoga’s supporters flocked to the police station by night time, demanding for a speedy investigation. At around 8 p.m. Galenzoga and her supporters gathered in front of the hospital to demand for the immediate release of the suspects from their air-conditioned room at the hospital, and detained them at the police station. As of press time, the two were still at the hospital, but the police assured the Galenzoga camp that the suspects were under strict security there.  (FREEMAN)