CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) provincial field unit of Misamis Occidental has recently filed a frustrated murder case against the three suspects who allegedly shot the mayoralty bet in Calamba town in March.
Brig. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., the director of the Police Regional Office of Northern Mindanao (PRO-10) announced the indictment of the suspects on Wednesday, April 13, in his official page.
The authorities identified the suspects as Luisito Villanueva Jr., Sally Luba and Tambusloy Sula-sula, all residents of Southwestern Poblacion village in Calamba town.
The CIDG Misamis Occidental provincial field unit filed the case at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Oroquieta City on April 8.
In an interview on Wednesday, Lt. Col. Michelle Olaivar, the PRO-10 spokesperson, has clarified the CIDG only filed the complaint and the suspects are given enough time to respond before the case is filed in the court.
Olaivar also said they have not ruled out the possibility of having other individuals involved in the crime.
“If it finds out that they are the perpetrators, they can either be the gunmen, the lookout or the mastermind. It is also possible that they can be the suspects, but there are other suspects behind the incident,” Olaivar said.
It can be recalled that on March 13, based on the police’s initial investigation, the victim, identified as George Oliveros Matunog Jr., 55, accompanied by his escort, was shot by a riding tandem while walking towards his home after attending a grand opening of a convenience store in Purok-1 in Southwestern Poblacion village.
The victim was shot at the back of his nape and exited at the right portion of his cheek.
According to PRO-10’s report, Matunog is an independent mayoralty candidate of Calamba town, but endorsed by Hon. Diego Ty, Misamis Occidental 1st district representative to the banner of BBM-Sara tandem (UniTeam).