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The National Bureau of Investigations has pressed
charges of murder and attempted murder against a former town
vice-mayor, an Army corporal and a policeman for their role in the
alleged ambush of a judge in Baggao, Cagayan, in 2005.
NBI Director Nestor M. Mantaring
had instructed the NBI-Special Task Force to investigate the 2005
ambush of Judge Nathaniel C. Pattugalan and his driver in Baggao,
Cagayan.
Pattugalan survived the ambush
but his driver, Alfredo de la Cruz, was killed.
Pattugalan was not so lucky when
he was ambushed a second time. He was shot dead on January 19, 2007,
in Quezon City.
Head agent Arnel Dalumpines,
chief of NBI-Special Task Force (STF), identified the suspects as
Loreto M. Alipio, a former vice-mayor of Buguey; Police Officer 1
Jofel T. Alipio; and his brother, Cpl. Edgar Alipio, all of Barangay
San Juan, Buguey.
They were charged on Friday
before the Department of Justice with murder for the death of de la
Cruz of 84 B San Antonio Street, Barangay San Antonio, Quezon City,
and the attempted murder of Pattugalan.
“Before the January 19, 2007,
ambush, which claimed the life of Judge Pattugalan, he managed to
identify Cpl. Edgar Alipio through a photograph as one of the
subjects who ambushed him and his driver in 2005,” said Dalumpines.
According to the investigation
report of the NBI-STF, Patuggalan was in a vehicle being driven by
de la Cruz when Jofel and Edgar Alipio, who were allegedly in
another vehicle with plate number RBV 292, ambushed them.
Following verification
proceedings conducted at the Land Transportation Office, the
registered owner of the vehicle with plate number RBV 292 turned out
to be Loreto M. Alipio.
Anastacia Pattugalan, wife of
Patuggalan, told reporters that it was premature to state if there
was any link between the 2005 incident and the 2007 ambush.
“The NBI probe is not yet over.
They are determining if there was a link,” said the widow.
 --Katrice
R. Jalbuena
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