CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – The National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday, July 12, turned over to the court the alleged gunman of radio commentator Cresenciano “Cris” Bundoquin who was shot dead by men onboard a motorcycle on May 31 here.
A NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation agent escorts Isabelo Bautista, the alleged gunman of radio commentator Cresencio Bunduquin, during his presentation to a court in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro on Wednesday, July 12. (Jerry Alcayde) The suspect, Isabelo L. Bautista, 45, was escorted by heavily armed NBI and SWAT personnel when he arrived at 1:30 p.m. at the provincial capitol grounds after almost four hours of land and sea travel from the NBI headquarters in Manila to this province. NBI operatives, together with Presidential Task Force on Media Security Executive Director Paul Gutierrez, presented Bautista to Ronnel A. Deinla, clerk of court of the Regional Trial Court Branch 39. After the warrant against Bautista was returned to the court, the suspect made an appeal that he be put under the custody of the NBI but the court has yet to act on his request pending further evaluation. Bautista will be temporarily put under the custody of the NBI for the next 24 hours before his official turn over to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Calapan City. He voluntarily appeared before NBI-National Capital Region on June 27 and chose to stay within the NBI premises out of fear for his safety but on July 6, Judge Josephine C. Caranzo of the RTC Branch 39 eventually issued the warrant which paved the way for his arrest. Bautista denied the accusation against him but promised that he will fully cooperate in the NBI probe by giving more details to come out with the truth and possibly unmask other possible suspects or mastermind in the killing of Bundoquin, 50, by men on board a motorcycle in front of his store in Barangay Santa Isabel. Police investigators recovered from the crime scene two handguns and identifications cards that led to the identification of Bautista and his alleged accomplice, Nicasio Guntan, of Paclasan, Roxas, this province, who died when their getaway motorcycle crashed and hit a metal barrier on the road after they were chased by Bundoquin’s son during their escape. NBI probers were able to trace the owner of one of the handguns to a bodyguard of a losing mayoral candidate in Oriental Mindoro. Francia Bundoquin, Cresencio’s wife, said she was thankful that Bautista voluntarily surrendered to face the murder and attempted murder charges filed against him. She appealed to him to tell everything and reveal who are involved in the killing of her husband. The court has scheduled the arraignment and pre-trial of the case on Aug. 4.