By DANNY O. SAGUN

THE “phantom journalists” strike anew, this time riding on the murder of San Carlos City Mayor Julian “Jolly” Resuello.

Their latest caper has put former Vice-Mayor Ansberto “Harry’ Cagampan on the spot after they supposedly quoted him implicating outgoing Gov. Victor E. Agbayani, former San Carlos Mayor Douglas Soriano and losing congressional candidate Gallant Soriano as the masterminds in the killing of the mayor last April 28, during the coronation night for the city fiesta queen at the city auditorium.

The news was generally taken for simple amusement as election black propaganda however by most San Carlenians and Pangasinenses as they noted the anonymity used by the publishers in making their charges.

Cagampan, who ran for vice-mayor in the Soriano ticket, said he initially did not mind the black propaganda which came out a week before the May 14 elections. But he feared for his life and his family when xeroxed copies began circulating in the city even after the polls, he told radio interviews.

He asked the people from that city not to mind or believe the contents of the tabloid as they were just part of a smear campaign against him and the Sorianos, aimed at driving a wedge between him and the Soriano family with whom he had allied himself.
He said he was never interviewed by the alleged writers. Apparently the names of the writers were fictitious.

Some three months ago, a tabloid called Banat also came up with stories linking Board Member Danilo Uy to drugs and Dagupan City Mayor Benjie Lim to corruption and irregularities.

No person was found responsible for the canard although some legitimate members of the media had suspects in mind, including several “naughty” characters in their ranks.

Cagampan pointed out that the tabloid issue date April 29-May 5, 2007 was actually inconsistent with the chronology of events.

He said that the mayor was gunned down evening of April 28 and died at the hospital on April 30. Normally, a newspaper is printed a day before its date of issue and in the case of the tabloid it should have been printed before April 29. But the tabloid, as its publication date shows, already reported about things after the incident, he noted.

The tabloid claims to have its office in Caloocan City.