Suspect identified, at large
Bontoc, Mountain Province– Members of the Provincial Peace and Order Council and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council put their full weight for the speedy resolution of the killing of three natives of Agawa, Besao who reportedly went to hunt and fish but were found dead days later along the Lakanga creek within the vicinity of Baclingayan, a sitio of Tabacda, Tubo, Abra.
In the joint PPOC-PDRRMC meeting last Thursday, Besao Mayor Johnson Bantog II reported that the Tubo Police Office has already filed a case against a lone suspect at a trial court in Abra. “A case is already filed in court so I hope that justice will be immediately given to the families of the victims,” Bantog said.
The mayor called on the PPOC through its chairman, Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr., to monitor the proceedings of the case. For his part, Lacwasan assured the families of his support in their fight for justice. “We are always ready to offer help within our means. I just hope and pray that the suspect will eventually surface so that the case will go on smoothly,” the governor assured the mayor.
Meanwhile, a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan here said that the proper venue to decide the case is the court. Provincial IP representative Tomas Tawagen said that the best is to let the case filed by the police take its course. Tawagen was reacting to the pronouncement of Abra Vice Governor Ronald Balao-as who, in a published news article, made the suggestion of having the case be settled by the Sangguninag Panlalawigan.
Bantog also took the opportunity to thank all the groups and individuals who made resolutions, position papers and sent statements of support to the bereaved families. Days after the discovery of the killings, a series of position papers calling for the immediate resolution of the case flowed including those from left-leaning groups. “Obviously it was the copies of the resolutions and statements of oneness which partially pushed the police to look into the incident on a high priority mode,” Bantog added.
Tabacda is a barangay in Tubo populated by natives of Mountain Province. Baclingayan, the most populous sitio is occupied mostly by natives of Belwang, Sadanga. Another sitio, Taleb, is peopled by families from northern Sagada while sitio Datalan is populated mostly by those from Agawa, Beso. The three sitios were the hub of hunters but residents of Datalan and Taleb left their houses because of the series of military operations in the late 1980s. The name of the barangay, Tabacda, is a condensation of sitios Taleb, Baclingayan, and Datalan.
Ina related development, the municipality of Sagada, a neighboring municipality of Besao, Mountain Province strongly condemned the murders.
In a resolution numbered 54-2019 duly signed by all the members of the Sanggunian Bayan of Sagada headed by Hon. Benjamin G Capuyan, they strongly condemned the gruesome murders and are demanding for justice. They also expressed their condolences to the bereaved families.
The victims Jansen Salibungey Gabaen, Pedro Mabiasan Sauyen and Ronnie Diosan Macayba, all from Barangay Agawa, Besao, Mountain Province were reported missing after they went fishing along the rivers of the deep forest bordering barangay Agawa, Besao and Tabacda, Tubo, Abra.
After a few days, they were found dead at said place on May 27, 2019. Investigation revealed that the bodies of the victims sustained multiple hack wounds, one was beheaded and 2 of the bodies were found with multiple gunshot wounds.
At present, the lone suspect identified as Marlon Bacalli Batuli went into hiding after confessing his having committed the barbaric crimes and the barangay officials and elders of Brgy Tabacda adamantly told him to surrender to authorities and face the consequences of his acts. A case of three (3) counts of murder was immediately filed against him in court, however, he is now at large and is now the subject of a manhunt operation by the police.
Prior to the filing of the case, Police Brigadier General Israel Ephraim Dickson, Regional Director ordered the immediate activation of a Provincial Special Investigation Task Group (PSITG) to focus on the speedy investigation and case build-up until its filing on June 21, 2019. “The case will not rest here, we still have to wait for the issuance of the warrant of arrest then implement it at all cost so as to give justice and somehow alleviate the suffering of the victims’ families, the barbaric and senseless killing of the victims have no place in a civilized society, we do not tolerate the acts of this murderer”, Gen. Dickson said.** ABB with reports from PRO-COR
