By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

LINGAYEN – A former house help of the Resuellos who was dismissed years back for raping a house maid is now emerging in police investigations as the triggerman who may have fired the fatal shots at Mayor Julian Resuello of San Carlos City during the city fiesta coronation night.

Cesar de Guzman, alias “Kabesa”, the second of possibly four suspects including one gunman arrested earlier and two other persons who may have acted as “look-outs” but still at large, is now the subject of a wide manhunt by the police after video footages taken by a commercial photographer during the city plaza ceremonies showed him lugging something heavy while seemingly watching the ongoing program at the plaza wearing a ball cap marked “Ayoy for Mayor”

The other gunman, Angelito Soriano, 38, was arrested by the police earlier at the Elguera Hospital in San Carlos City where he sought treatment for two bullet wounds in both legs. He was believed the one who traded shots with SPO1 Jaime Almoite, police close-in security of the slain mayor.

Soriano’s participation in the plaza murder was believed established with the positive identification made by Almoite of the suspect when Soriano was brought to the wounded policeman’s bedside at the Virgen Milagrosa Hospital. Almoite was himself wounded during the brief shootout with the fleeing assassins.

He also tested positive for gunpowder burns when paraffin-tested by Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) after Almoite’s positive identification of him.

Police Director General Oscar Calderon, here last Thursday for a presentation of the arrested suspect, Soriano, to the media and for a personal briefing by his officers on the progress of the case, said Soriano was at first thought to be among the civilians wounded by stray bullets in the plaza shooting.

Concerned citizens and other witnesses who provided information to the police however linked him directly to the killing of Resuello prompting police to arrest him at the hospital and tag him a principal suspect.

Traces of blood taken at the crime scene will be examined to match this with Soriano’s blood sample, investigators said.

At a media conference during the presentation of suspect Soriano, Calderon said the next step is to identify the mastermind, “if any.” He declined to categorically state if any political rival of the Resuellos is linked to the mayor’s killing.

Calderon said while politics remains a possible motive, there is as yet no hard evidence to link any “principal by inducement or one who actually ordered the direct participants.” He vowed that the police will not stop until all angles are studied and definite proofs are established to stand in court.

“All we have so far are allegations and insinuations (as to the mastermind and actual motive),” he said.

Meanwhile, a P500,00 reward was raised for the arrest of information leading to the arrest of suspect De Guzman. Of the amount, P200,000 came from House Speaker Jose de Venecia and the rest from the slain mayor’s family and friends.

De Guzman is also the prime suspect tagged in a recent police report in the shooting of two traffic aides in front of the San Carlos City public market dawn of April 25, just a few days before the Resuello killing. The traffic aides were reportedly supporters of the Resuellos