More cops to search for mayor’s ‘killers’
From being among the most wanted criminals in the province, the two suspects linked to the killing of Buenavista, Bohol Mayor Ronald Lowell Tirol will soon be considered most wanted in Central Visayas.
This as the Police Regional Office-7 is set to elevate the most wanted status of Elmer Melencion alias "Eti" and Egmidio Aparece Jr. alias "Mediong," who have been charged with murder before the Tagbilaran City Prosecutor's Office on Monday following Tirol's death on Sunday.
Dennis Agustin, deputy director for operations at PRO-7, yesterday told reporters that a workshop is underway to discuss the possibility of the two suspects to be tagged as the region's most wanted.
"Makakapasok yan. Sa ngayon lalong tumaas yan kasi mayor ang level ng victim. Iwo-workshop namin yan para magkaroon ng manhunt," said Agustin, who served as director of Bohol Provincial Police Office in 2016.
If the two will be listed among the region's most wanted, more policemen and other law-enforcement units can be alerted to arrest them.
Agustin shared that Melencion and Aparece were already among the top 10 most wanted criminals in Bohol when he was still the chief of the provincial police.
Melencion made it to the provincial list after he was identified as suspect in the botched assassination on Tirol at a cockpit arena in Clarin, Bohol back in 2014. It was not immediately clear, though, how Aparece's name made it to the list.
Agustin said the police have been keeping their "radar" on the two but they proved to be good in keeping a low-profile.
"Matagal na silang hinahanap ng batas, pero medyo madulas lang kaya hindi natin mamonitor kung saan, pero pag mayroon nang development, i-serve natin ang warrants nila," Agustin said.
He added that the police are confident they can arrest the suspects.
"Ang masasabi ko lang i-enjoy nila yung last remaining days kasi hahanapin namin (sila). Wala nang place para magsurrender sila. Marami na silang kasalanan sa bayan, ipagpatuloy na lang nila ang pagtatago nila at kapag nakita sila ng tropa (cops), hindi sila titigilan," Agustin said.
Aside from the two, police are still pursuing two or three other assailants.
BPPO Director Angeles Geñorga previously said a total of five assailants might have been at the cockpit in Buenavista on Sunday when the shooting was staged. He leads a Special Investigation Task Group that was formed following the incident.
According to witnesses, the gunman casually sat beside Tirol inside the cockpit that day and shot him in the head shortly after.
The mayor was brought to the hospital but was declared dead an hour after. The suspects, four of them, were seen fleeing onboard two motorcycles.