Police kills suspect in mayor’s slay
The police killed in an operation yesterday dawn one of the alleged gunmen who shot and killed Buenavista, Bohol Mayor Ronald Lowell Tirol.
Senior Supt. Angeles Geñorga, Bohol Provincial Police Office director, identified the man as Emigdio Aparece, who was cornered in an abandoned hut in a farm in Barangay Concepcion, Danao, Bohol.
He said in a phone interview that the officers tried to persuade Aparece to surrender, but he shouted at them and began firing shots.
The police located Aparece after they had been informed that he was spotted in Concepcion.
The police official said the informant will receive the P200,000 reward for helping locate Aparece.
A .45 pistol and a hand grenade were recovered from Aparece, who was identified as the leader of the Aparece criminal gang. He reportedly has multiple warrants of arrest over several charges.
Aparece and Elmer Melencion were charged with murder for their alleged participation in the murder of Tirol inside the public official’s cockpit arena last May 27.
Tirol’s aide identified the two suspects.
A special investigation task group (SITG) was formed to determine the motive behind the attack.
Geñorga said he had asked members of the SITG to conduct a background check on Tirol’s past relationships.
For his part, Buenavista Police Chief Rully Lauron said they received information that Tirol owed one of his former lovers a large sum of money.
Tirol was not married but he reportedly has two children with one of his former girlfriends.