MABALACAT CITY – Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales has ordered “a no nonsense investigation” into the killing of Marian L. Gantan, urging the police to “leave no stone unturned” in the probe.
Morales gave the order during the Peace and Order Council (POC) meeting at the Sapphire Room of the Xevera Housing Complex here on Monday attended by the police headed by chief of police, Supt. Henry G. Flores, barangay captains, members of the city council and Vice Mayor Christian Halili.
A P500,000 reward money was also put up for any information leading to the early solution or arrest of the suspects in the Gantan murder. Morales put in P100,000 and another P100,000 from the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) on top of the P300,000 reward initially offered by the city government for a total of P500,000 reward money.
“I’ve asked the SP to raise the reward money hoping to speed up the arrest of Marian’s assailants so that justice couldbe served,” Morales said. Meanwhile, a P300,000 reward was also announced by Morales for the solution in the robbery-homicide case of octogenarian couple Benjamin, 85, and Cresenciana Cuffee,84, in Barangay San Joaquin here on November 30.
The mayor also assured all possible witnesses in the ambush- slaying of Gantan and Cuffee double homicide case of ample protection as he appealed to them to come out to help police in their investigation. It can be recalled that the police formed Task Force Marian (TFM) a few days after her killing which is headed by Pampanga police director Senior Supt. Rodolfo Recomono,Jr., he Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the city police force headed by Flores.
But TFM remained tight-lipped as details of the investigation are withheld from the media. However, police sources close to the investigation revealed that Gantan’s killers followed her from the Kaye Espinosa beauty parlor in Barangay Dau to Barangay Mabiga where she was waylaid.
“It was a professional hit,” said the source. Gantan was killed on the spot from multiple gunshot wounds she sustained in the ambush on Nov. 23 while she was on her way home on board a white Hyundai Tucson (TOH 442) which reportedly belonged to her mother, identified as Pyra Lucas, 47, a self-proclaimed “corruption crusader” and an outspoken critic of Morales.
A man who claimed to be the husband of Gantan was in the crime scene immediately after the shooting and was even photographed poring over the lifeless body of the victim who remained inside the vehicle which was cordoned off by a yellow police line.
He was later identified by Flores as John Ramos. But the police said Gantan, 29, was single. Sources said she allegedly had three boyfriends and Ramos is just one of them. News reports said Gantan allegedly quarrelled with one of her boyfriends who refused to allow her to leavefor abroad.
Gantan was supposed to leave for Singapore on Nov. 26. During Gantan’s wake at the St. Louie Funeral Parlor in Barangay Mabiga here, a second alleged boyfriend reportedly showed up.
A source said the second boyfriend allegedly received a threatening text message shortly after Gantan’s killing which read: “ika na ing tutuki (You are next).” An alleged third boyfriend is reportedly abroad.
