LINGAYEN – The police now considers solved the slaying of Vice Mayor Bonie Apilado of San Manuel town on June 20 this year with the filing of a complaint for murder and one frustrated murder against three persons, all tagged as hired killers—even as none of them has been caught yet.

The killing of Apilado, considered as one of three major incidents relative to the May 14 election in Region 1, happened along the busy Maharlika Highway in Urdaneta City at past noon of June 20.

Police Provincial Director Senior Supt. Isagani Nerez identified the three during a news conference on Thursday as a certain Jun Fabro, alias “Jun Kalingan”, of Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur, Efren Macaraeg of Binalonan town; and Sonny Vergara of Urdaneta City.

The three suspects were identified by two witnesses, namely Francis Ramos and Ricardo Clemente, driver of Apilado who was himself shot by the gunmen but managed to run to an adjacent rice field despite his wounds.

Under heavy guard at the hospital where he was rushed, Clemente survived his bullet wounds to tell the police what happened and identify the suspects.

The three suspects were riding in tandem on a motorcycle without a plate number when they shot Apilado at the back while he was talking to a worker of an air-conditioning shop just across Manantan Technical School.

Apilado tried to run away but the gunmen followed him and fired more shots into his body.

Simultaneously, they fired at Clemente and hit him but he managed to run to a nearby rice field where he hid himself until he was rescued.

The complaint against the three, marked as IS No. 2007-241, was filed by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) before the City Prosecutors’ Office in Urdaneta City.

It was based on the investigation conducted by elements of Task Force Apilado formed by Police Provincial Director Senior Supt. Isagani Nerez.

The suspects were identified based on the cartographic sketches drawn by an artist of the CIDG in accordance with the descriptions provided by the witnesses.

The complaint was filed based on the sworn statements executed by Cherryline Apilado, widow of the vice mayor; and the victim’s brother Jorge.

Apilado ran for mayor of San Manuel in the last election but lost.