Police arrested yesterday one of the suspected killers of an Indonesian priest who was gunned down while preparing for Palm Sunday last April 1 in Lubuagan, Kalinga.
Cordillera Autonomous Region Police director Chief Superintendent Raul Gonzales identified the suspect as Akhmad Bunggauon, who was nabbed in Tabuk, Kalinga, where he sought refuge since the killing of 31-year-old Fr. Franciskus Madhu, a native of Flores Islands in Indonesia and assistant parish priest of the St. Peter and Paul churches in Lubuagan.
Gonzales said the police will continue the manhunt operations for Bunggauon’s two other companions Nestor Wailan and Joel Awingan who also escaped after the Indonesian priest was killed.
Police investigators said a warrant of arrest for Bunggauon was earlier issued by a Kalinga judge and the suspect was nabbed during a raid conducted by operatives of the Kalinga police Provincial Mobile Group.
Gonzales said Bunggauon was caught by surprise when the arresting team arrived in his hideout.
Bunggauon is one of three men charged with the murder of Madhu.
“Bunggauon is being interrogated in the hope of getting leads on the whereabouts of the two other suspects Wailan the alleged gunman and Awingan,” said Gonzales.
Police said Wailan was the one who shot the priest with an M-16 rifle.
Gonzales said Wailan and his companions, who were allegedly drunk, wanted to sell the gun to Madhu but the priest refused. Wailan got irked and shot the priest.
Wailan, also known as Sukman, was wounded during a firefight with police who tried to arrest him in Lubuagan, Kalinga, last July 19, but the suspect escaped. – Cecille Suerte Felipe