SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan, Philippines – Authorities yesterday filed three counts of murder and attempted murder charges against the two arrested suspects in the killing of Urbiztondo Mayor Ernesto Balolong Jr. and two others.
Charged before the provincial prosecutor’s office here were Eduardo de Guzman alias Gading, 65, and Marito Sarmiento, 38, both of Bugallon town, said Chief Inspector Ryan Manongdo, spokesman for the Pangasinan police.
The case for attempted murder was based on the statement of one of the victims. Other cases would be filed later, based on the testimony of other survivors, Manongdo added.
Gading and Sarmiento were arrested hours after the killing in Barangay Salomague Sur in Bugallon town.
Vice President Jejomar Binay, who visited Balolong’s wake on Sunday, condemned the mayor’s killing and that of his security aide, Police Officer 1 Eliseo Ulanday, and a bystander named Edmund Meneses.
Binay was in town for his scheduled market tours in San Fabian and Mangaldan.
He said he heard about the incident and decided to drop by to express his condolences to the family, who sought his help for justice.
He described Balolong, a member of the Liberal Party, as a good mayor whose death was a huge loss to the government.
Meanwhile, the provincial board of Pangasinan dismissed the four pending administrative cases filed against Balolong for being moot and academic.
In a separate resolution, the provincial board expressed their condolences and sympathy to the family.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas ordered the police to immediately solve the crime.